Cherish Hina
by One Man Cult
Summary: Problem in paragraph is now fixed.
1. Return of Takeshi: START?

Disclaimer: Love Hina is the property of the guys and girls of TV Tokyo, and the creation of Ken Akamatsu. This includes all characters that appear in Love Hina.  
  
Cherish Hina is MY property. Takeshi Urashima, Hiroko Urashima, Yumiko Nakamura, Kasumi Mitsumaru and Mizuki Kanashiro are MY characters. Please e- mail me at one_man_cult@hotmail.com if you want to use them, or if you want to post this story on your site.  
  
This is episode 1 of a 13 part series. I still need more beta-readers, editors and writers to help in the later chapters, so if you can provide ANY help whatsoever please reply at the above e-mail address. Reviews and constructive feedback are welcome. The more help and reviews I get, the faster I can finish an episode. No flames accepted.  
  
Warning: This piece of fanfiction contains heaps and heaps of original characters. To all those who hate original characters (I really hate self- inserts), go break your butt on my foot. This also contains quite a few indirect spoilers for the manga series.  
  
Extra, EXTRA special thanks to:  
  
-e2  
  
-The Archimage  
  
My editing and reading team, thanks a LOT for providing your ideas and time to help me complete this fanfic. I really appreciate it. I couldn't have written this without your help, people.  
  
************************************  
  
  
  
A lone figure, laden with luggage, walks through the empty streets. Resting for a moment, he sets down his numerous bags and looks around as he adjusts his glasses. The place he had spent his childhood in had not changed much since he left. In fact, he doubted whether the sleepy town of Hinata ever did change. The air is crisp, and the buildings are covered in morning dew. Steam rises from the various hot springs peppered throughout Hinata. His peaceful thoughts were interrupted by a loud cry, followed by an equally loud scream.  
  
"Pervert!"  
  
"Kyaaaaaa! Sorry!"  
  
The town seemed to have not noticed this, as if they were used to it. 'Then again,' thought the lone figure, 'so am I'. As the screaming figure flew above him, he waved and greeted it.  
  
"Hey dad".  
  
  
  
CHERISH HINA  
  
Episode One: Return of Takeshi. START?  
  
The young man took his belongings and began walking up the long stairs that led to Hinata Sou, a place he once and will now again call home. He was about average height and build, with short chocolate brown hair parted in the middle. Two short stands of hair stood up on either side of the part, a legacy of his mother. A pair of round-rimmed glasses covered his kind eyes. People who knew him often told him how much he resembled his parents, but knowing what his parents were most remembered for, he sincerely hoped not. Reaching the top, he slid the front doors open and yelled through the inn,  
  
"I'm home!"  
  
"Brother!"  
  
A young girl, around 14 years old, rushed into his arms causing him to drop all his luggage. Medium length brown hair framed her delicate features. Like her mother and her brother, she had two small 'antennae' sticking out of her head. She hugged him tightly before letting him go.  
  
"I missed you so much, brother".  
  
"I missed you too Hiroko," said Takeshi, returning her hug. "You've grown so much".  
  
"Well, I'm still growing".  
  
"My little Takeshi has finally come home".  
  
Takeshi tracked the voice to a woman standing on the staircase. Although in her forties, Naru Urashima was still extremely beautiful and held herself with a grace and elegance that was usually only found with the most gorgeous of roses. This was slightly hampered this morning by the fact that her robe was slightly messed up, and that her long hair was in disarray.  
  
"Mum, I'm not a little boy any more".  
  
"You'll always be my little boy Takeshi," said her mother as she walked down to give her boy a hug and a kiss. "I'm sorry your father couldn't come down here to greet you".  
  
"It's alright mum. I saw him playing 'rocket man' before". The three Urashimas shared a laugh as Takeshi referred to the name they had given his father a long time ago, to explain to his little sister Hiroko why her dad was often seen several feet off the ground.  
  
The ruckus had woken the other people living at the Hinata girl's dormitory. Two sleepy eyed girls, and one not so sleepy eyed, walked down the stairs to see what the commotion was all about.  
  
"Oh, Ta-kun. Welcome back" said one of the girls.  
  
"Why thank you, Ka-chan," answered Takeshi. Takeshi and Kasumi Mitsumaru had been childhood friends since way back, since her mother, his aunt Mutsumi, often brought over to play.  
  
"We've got so much to catch up on, 'sister'. Australia was sooooo much fun".  
  
"Australia? Ara, is that near Honshuu?"  
  
Anyone who knew Kasumi remarked on how much she resembled her mother. She had the same hair and the drop-dead gorgeous figure Mutsumi had. Even her clueless expression and air-headedness was the same. Kasumi often gave the impression of a dumb bimbo, but Takeshi knew better.  
  
"Hi, Takeshi" said a younger girl who was quite awake. "Gimme presents gimme gimme gimme gimme….." she stated while attempting to climb Takeshi as though he were a tree. Although Takeshi didn't know her as well as he did Kasumi, he did know this girl was always quite hyperactive, and was on what he described as 'a permanent sugar buzz'. Mizuki Kanashiro was Hiroko's best friend, and the two were seldom seen out of each other's company. Mizuki began to swing using Takeshi's arm. Her parents worked on the other side of Japan, and had decided that it would be better if their only child stayed in one place for her education. 'Not that she gets much of that' thought Takeshi. 'All she thinks about is sport'. He remembered the numerous bruises he got when she used him as a piece of gym equipment. Takeshi gave her some candy bar he had obtained on the plane to occupy her for a while.  
  
Takeshi attempted to pry Mizuki off himself while turning his attention to the third member of the group. She appeared to be around his age, and was a little shorter than he was. Her light brown hair was shoulder length but tied in a ponytail and picked up the light as it moved around. It matched the colour of her eyes. Takeshi thought she was very attractive, but he was too embarrassed to stare too long.  
  
"Hello, I'm Yumiko Nakamura" she greeted as she bowed slightly.  
  
"N-Nice to meet you Nakamura-san. I'm Takeshi Urashima," said Takeshi, returning the bow.  
  
"It's alright if you call me Yumiko".  
  
"Likewise..I….I mean…you can call me Takeshi". He blushed slightly after the awkward introduction.  
  
The door slid open as Keitaro Urashima returned from his little trip, disrupting the atmosphere that had built up. He looked a little worse for wear, but knowing him Takeshi knew there had been no harm done. After all, his dad might be clumsy and 'perverted' but he was almost invincible.  
  
"Hey, Takeshi. How was studying in Australia?"  
  
"Great. I picked up heaps of English words over there, and it was fun to be out in the open so much". His parents didn't let him study in America because they thought it was too dangerous for a child alone.  
  
"I'm sure you're tired after your trip. Let's take your stuff to your room". Keitaro led the way as Takeshi picked up his luggage.  
  
*************************************  
  
"Well, here we are" said Keitaro.  
  
Takeshi looked at the sign above the door. 'Kanrinin: Keitaro Urashima'.  
  
"Don't worry," said his father. "We'll get that sign changed".  
  
Takeshi looked around as he entered his new room. His dad had moved to one of the larger upstairs suites with his mother when they got married. His old room, which was next to his sister's, was now occupied by Mizuki. The hole in the ceiling of the Kanrinin's room remained, because it held sentimental value to his parents. It was now fixed up, and had a proper trapdoor. The room had not been occupied in a while, and the surfaces were covered in dust. 'I'll have to clean up a bit' he thought. 'This place is a mess'.  
  
**************************************  
  
He made his way to the dining room, where everyone was already changed and seated. Kasumi appeared to be working on something over the stove. Takeshi remembered when he helped her learn to cook. He shivered at the memory of her numerous culinary 'experiments' before she got the knack of cooking. On the plus side he indirectly learnt how as well. Although nowhere near the calibre of Kasumi in the kitchen, he knew enough to whip up a decent meal. Hiroko was currently serving Miso soup. Takeshi's stomach growled. He hadn't had a good Japanese meal in ages (he couldn't cook THAT well). Keitaro was currently downing a cup of coffee, as mornings were not his best times.  
  
"So, Takeshi, how was your trip?" asked Naru.  
  
Takeshi described his experiences of studying at a boarding school to his audience, eating his breakfast of steamed rice and grilled eel in between sentences. They were a good audience, paying attention to what he said and asking questions in the right places. His dad was drifting off until Naru hit him over the head with a frying pan.  
  
"…And that's why" he concluded, "I'm back here. I've got a couple of months to study and relax, and then I'm going to try to get into Todai".  
  
"You're trying out for Todai too?" asked Kasumi. "Yumiko and I are also going to the entrance exams, so I guess we can study together".  
  
"Since you've already graduated, Takeshi, do you mind helping us on our schoolwork?" asked Yumiko.  
  
"Sure. I have the time for it," answered Takeshi. He did have his doubts about it. In his opinion he wasn't that smart, and the prospect of having to stay long hours with two beautiful girls was…daunting, to say the least.  
  
"Well, I have to leave now. Got some work to finish up," said Keitaro.  
  
"Me too" said Naru. "See you all later".  
  
"Bye!" replied everyone.  
  
Yumiko was having her own doubts. She was standing at the sink cleaning the dishes, but her mind wasn't really at the task at hand. 'It's nice having a new person here' she thought. 'And studying seems less of a chore when there are more people, but does it have to be a guy? I know that he is Hiroko's brother, and that this is HIS house, but Hinata Sou is a female dormitory after all'. She frowned at the prospect of living with this newcomer. Many of the guys at school treated her like some object and ogled her because of her beauty. 'He seems kind of nerdy, so I doubt he'll try anything. Kasumi-san doesn't seem to mind him either, so he can't be that bad'. By the time Yumiko finished thinking the dishes were done.  
  
*************************************  
  
Takeshi decided to take a wander around the town. It had been such a long time since he had been back, and he had really missed Hinata, with it's sleepy atmosphere. He strolled leisurely down the path that took him to the Hinata teahouse, which was owned by his Aunt Kitsune. This wasn't technically correct, as Kitsune was just a close friend of his parents, and her actual name was Mitsune Konno. She had been nicknamed Kitsune long before anybody could remember. He walked in and saw her cleaning the tables at the same lazy pace the whole town seemed to run on. She sensed his presence, and looked up to greet him.  
  
"Hey, kiddo. Nice to see you again".  
  
"Nice to see you too, Auntie. You still single?"  
  
Kitsune promptly put him in a headlock and gave him a noogie that he would not soon forget. If his devious Aunt Kitsune had a weakness, it was her marital status. She had unbelievably bad luck with men. She released Takeshi, looking quite annoyed, but with a strange glint in her eye. He knew this look, and frankly, he was scared.  
  
"What about you, huh. Had any luck with Yumiko yet? Kasumi even?"  
  
"W-What are you talking about, old woman?"  
  
"You know. Even if they reject you, you shouldn't force 'that' on them, because that's not real love. If you do that, then you'll never have a chance. Understand?"  
  
"Um…okaaay" answered Takeshi, blushing furiously. He knew he had lost. Aunt Kitsune had a way of getting out of situations like this. Takeshi backed out slowly, as Kitsune sniggered and gave him a small wave goodbye.  
  
He walked around town a bit, enjoying the atmosphere that brought back many childhood memories. The repairs shop, where he often took his broken Walkman, was still there as was Misato's bakery. Misato was a kindly old lady who always made sure that she gave Takeshi a little extra something every time he visited. The old bookshop seemed to have been closed down and replaced by a shop selling manga and all the associated toys. Through the shop window he could see old manga volumes of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion', 'Trigun' and 'Dragonball Z', as well as some scantily clad figurines of girls from various anime series. There were many young couples walking around on the streets, coming here to enjoy the hot springs. Others coming here by telling their parents 'I'm staying over at a friend's house' then running off so that they can get up to some serious hanky-panky. It kind of depressed Takeshi to think that in all seventeen years of his life, he had never had a girlfriend. He always did have trouble talking to girls, even though it seemed from a young age he was surrounded by them. The attractive ones gave him the most trouble. He always ended up doing something stupid in front of the attractive ones, especially if they're standing close by. Whenever he saw a pretty girl, Takeshi would turn into a clumsy, bumbling idiot. Sure there was Kasumi, and she was pretty, but she was also more like a sister and best friend to him than anything else. For some reason he seemed okay with Kasumi.  
  
*************************************  
  
Takeshi had finished cleaning his new room and was currently in the process of unpacking. Most of his stuff was still being shipped over to Japan, so all he really did have to unpack were his clothes. He did, however, bring his two most prized possessions. Both were books, so they were relatively easy to carry. Then first was new, but appeared to be in pretty bad condition, with creases and smudges and dirty fingerprints all over it. This was his sketchbook. Takeshi loved drawing, especially manga. The sketchbook was a diary of sorts, with drawings of the places and people most important to him, punctuated with pages of dojinshi he had drawn. This was the latest of twelve sketchbooks, as he seemed to go through them rather quickly. The second was very, very old, with its string bindings and leather cover, but an effort had obviously been made to keep it in pristine condition. It was an Urashima family heirloom that had been given to his great-grandmother, then to his aunt Kanako, and finally to him. Inside it was instructions on how to perform every single technique ever created by members of the Urashima clan for the Urashima martial arts. Takeshi had already perfected every technique inside this book, and had started adding techniques he developed into its pages. It also contained the history of the Urashimas, and contained a short summary of most of the Urashimas in history. Takeshi held the books for a moment, put them carefully on the bookshelf and took from his room the items he needed for a bath.  
  
*Sigh*  
  
Takeshi leaned back into the hot water, letting it do its work on his tired muscles. One of the things he missed most by being overseas were the hot springs that were located at Hinata Sou. They fed the bath he was in now, as well as the large outdoor one that was for the girls. His parents sometimes went to the outdoor bath late at night to spend some quality time together, but it was one thing he seriously didn't want to know about. He shuddered as images of them together filled his head. Takeshi was awakened when he heard the door slide shut and the splash of someone getting in.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Wha…?"  
  
"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?!"  
  
"WHAT AM I DOING HERE? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?!" screamed Yumiko, who was clad in a bath towel and not much else.  
  
"THIS IS THE MEN'S BATH!!"  
  
"THE MANAGER HASN'T CLEANED THE OTHER ONE YET, SO HE SAID I COULD USE THIS ONE!!"  
  
"HE DIDN'T TELL ME THAT!!"  
  
"WELL NOW YOU KNOW. GET OUT, PERVERT!!"  
  
In her haste to get Takeshi out of the bathroom, Yumiko slips on the wet floor, landing on top of him. Both blushed heavily.  
  
"Um…P-Please get off me" managed Takeshi.  
  
"I'm….I'm trying to" she replied, but her body seemed to want to oppose her mind.  
  
Kasumi opened the door to see what the commotion was all about.  
  
"Ara, are you two getting it on already?"  
  
The other two seventeen year olds blushed even more heavily, wrapped their towels tightly around themselves and beat a hasty retreat back to their respective rooms.  
  
**************************************  
  
'Well, that was…..well..…nice' thought Takeshi. 'She is very pretty, but a bit on the mean side'. He sighed as he quickly got dressed. 'I'd better go and apologise to her, just in case she gets the wrong idea about me'. Takeshi left his room and headed towards Yumiko's.  
  
Yumiko was getting dressed in her room, trying to erase the sensations of her body pressed against his from her mind. 'I was probably a little harsh on him' she thought. 'It was my fault, I guess'. She used her towel to dry her slightly damp hair. 'He's really not that much of a pervert, either. Any other guy would have taken advantage of me'. Yumiko's thoughts were disrupted by someone knocking at the door. She got dressed quickly and answered the door.  
  
"Oh Takeshi, it's you".  
  
"Yeah, well……I'm sorry about what happened before".  
  
Yumiko felt something in her heart that she couldn't identify. "Umm, I'm sorry too. It was partially my fault".  
  
A few moments of silence past by.  
  
"You could have just used the trapdoor, you know".  
  
"Huh?" Takeshi asked, confused.  
  
"The trapdoor. You could have just apologised through that. You didn't have to come all the way up here".  
  
"Um… I was worried you might be….."  
  
"Changing? Get those thoughts out of your head, you pervert".  
  
"Sorry".  
  
"Hmph"  
  
*Slam*  
  
*************************************  
  
Takeshi walked his way down to Kasumi's room. It had been a long time since he had a good chat with his closest friend. He knocked on the door and waited for a reply.  
  
"Come in. The door's not locked".  
  
"Okay".  
  
Kasumi appeared to be doing her homework, with her textbooks open all over the table and floor. Takeshi looked around the room. The walls were filled with pictures. One was a huge family portrait with all eight of her aunts and uncles, and well as numerous cousins and siblings. There were several pictures of Kasumi's boyfriend, Hayate, on the wall as well. Hayate still lived in Okinawa, but Takeshi had met him once before. He was a really nice guy, and they shared a lot of common interests. Subsequently Hayate became a good friend of his. Also on the wall were many pictures that he had drawn of Kasumi. He had given these to her as a gift for helping colour in his dojinshi, which she enjoyed doing. There was also a wall with lots of pictures of couples he didn't recognise.  
  
"So, 'brother', what brings you here?"  
  
"Am I not allowed to visit my best friend? Well, actually…. I wanted to ask you about Yumiko".  
  
"Ara, that's right. You weren't here when she arrived. She came here around six months ago, and she goes to the same school I do. She's really popular at school too. She moved here to get into Todai".  
  
"Is she always like that? She seems like a bit of a snob".  
  
"Once you know her she really is quite nice".  
  
"Oh".  
  
"Why are you asking so many questions anyway? Are you interested in her? She's still single you know. You still have a chance with her".  
  
"It's not like that! I just want to know her better, that's all!"  
  
*Giggle* "You see that wall over there?"  
  
Takeshi nods.  
  
"That's my trophy wall. Pictures of everyone I've helped get together. See that blank spot there?"  
  
Takeshi nods again.  
  
"I'm reserving that spot for you and Yumiko. I've got to get dinner ready. Bye!" And with that Kasumi rushes out of her room before Takeshi can retaliate.  
  
"Hey! Get back here!"  
  
*************************************  
  
Everyone was heading towards the dining room, as it was already time for dinner. Mizuki skilfully bounced down the corridor, before jumping on Takeshi and using his head as a launching platform. She catapulted forwards and broke the door, allowing the heavenly aromas of good cooking gently waft out. The remaining residents made a mad dash towards the dining room when they got whiff of the night's meal. Everybody sat down and started eating. Takeshi was seated with his sister on his left hand side, and his mother on the right. Keitaro sat at the end of the table. Not much was said, except occasional mumbles of gratitude towards Kasumi, who had prepared this meal. Takeshi stole occasional glances at Yumiko, but ceased when she stared him back into submission. The meal was finished in less than half an hour. As the residents stood up to leave, Keitaro started speaking.  
  
"Excuse me, everybody?"  
  
Everyone sat back down, as it looked as though Keitaro had a serious announcement to make.  
  
"I'm going to resign from being manager of this dorm as of today".  
  
Surprised gasps and whispers filled the air.  
  
"What's going to happen to us?" asked Mizuki.  
  
"Don't worry, I've already found a new manager. Starting tomorrow, Takeshi will be manager here".  
  
Both Yumiko and Takeshi immediately voiced their complaints simultaneously.  
  
"Dad, what are you talking about? I don't know how to run a place like this! I have no idea……"  
  
"Kanrinin, you can't let him be manager here! He's a guy and he's the same age as us and him just living here is wrong….."  
  
Keitaro held up his hand to silence the two.  
  
"I'm sorry, but it has to be like this. Naru and I are both so busy with our jobs that there is no way we can make time to take care of Hinata Sou. I mean there are so many repairs to be done, and the cleaning as well….I've already fallen behind in doing the maintenance. It's also about time you took up some responsibility, Takeshi".  
  
Both started to speak again, but Keitaro stared at them.  
  
"Or do you want a repeat of that bathroom 'incident'".  
  
Both teenagers immediately shut their mouths, looking extremely embarrassed. News sure spread fast at the dormitory.  
  
"Well, that's that, I guess. Takeshi, you're the new manager of Hinata Sou".  
  
TO BE CONTINUED… 


	2. Manager's First Day: WORK!

Disclaimer: Love Hina is the property of the guys and girls of TV Tokyo, and the creation of Ken Akamatsu. This includes all characters that appear in Love Hina.  
  
Cherish Hina is MY property. Takeshi Urashima, Hiroko Urashima, Yumiko Nakamura, Kasumi Mitsumaru and Mizuki Kanashiro are MY characters. Please e-mail me at one_man_cult@hotmail.com if you want to use them, or if you want to post this story on your site.  
  
This is episode 2 of a 13 part series. I still need more beta-readers, editors and writers to help in the later chapters, so if you can provide ANY help whatsoever please reply at the above e-mail address. Reviews and constructive feedback are welcome. The more help and reviews I get, the faster I can finish an episode. No flames accepted. I mean, no-one's FORCING you to read this.  
  
Warning: This piece of fanfiction contains heaps and heaps of original characters. To all those who hate original characters (I really hate self-inserts), go break your butt on my foot. This also contains quite a few indirect spoilers for the manga series.  
  
Extra, EXTRA special thanks to:  
  
-e2  
  
-The Archimage  
  
- Artful  
  
Once again, all credit goes to them. These guys rock! Really! They even put up with my bad grammar and misuse of language.  
  
Other pieces of fanfiction by either The Archimage or myself can be found on fanfiction.net.  
  
*************************************  
  
"Hey, kanrinin man! You've got to wake up!" Mizuki shook Takeshi to get her point across.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Something's happened to Yumiko! You have to get up there and see!"  
  
Convinced by the desperation in Mizuki's voice, Takeshi opened up the trapdoor connecting their rooms. What he saw was Yumiko, standing there and getting changed. He felt a nosebleed coming on.  
  
"KYAAAAH! PERVERT!"  
  
"It's not my fau..."  
  
*Bash* *Bounce* *Bounce* *Bounce*  
  
Yumiko's double-fisted slam had hit him back down to the ground and sent him bouncing into the corridor. Kasumi, Kitsune and Mizuki were standing there, laughing their heads off.  
  
"Hahahaha! See? I told you it would be fun."  
  
"Yeah! Mizuki likes having fun!"  
  
"That boy resembles his father so much."  
  
All three were now rolling around on the floor, still laughing. Takeshi was still lying there, too sore to actually move.  
  
CHERISH HINA  
  
Episode 2: Manager's first day. WORK!  
  
Since his parents already having left for work and the clean up after breakfast finished, Takeshi decided to start his workout. He would usually wake up early and start his routine before breakfast, but he had been too fatigued by the plane trip. Takeshi remembered that his aunt Motoko had once taught him that "every day of training missed takes three days to replace." With those words of wisdom in mind, and standing in the same spot his aunt had once trained, Takeshi started on the drills that would hone his technique.  
  
A loud bang disrupted his concentration. The clothesline Mizuki was swinging on decided to give way, leaving the girl standing there holding on to a length of rope. She used it to skip down the stairs and back into the inn. Takeshi was about to begin practicing his punches again until he recalled that HE was now the kanrinin, and that repairing the clothesline was now his responsibility. Sighing, he went back inside to get the toolbox and to retrieve the rope from Mizuki.  
  
************************************  
  
"Brother, what are you doing?" asked Hiroko, looking over his shoulder. Kasumi was standing next to her.  
  
"I'm making a new frame for the door Mizuki broke last night." He continued to hammer the pieces of wood that made up the screen door. A few beads of perspiration dripped off his face.  
  
"That's the fourth time she's broken this door. By the way, you've put the nails in the wrong place."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"You keep fixing the door. I'm going to vacuum up this mess you've made."  
  
"It's alright, Hiroko. This is my job. I'll clean it all up later. You shouldn't have to do any of this."  
  
"Don't worry about it. I used to do this for dad all the time. Besides, you're my brother so it's my job to help you". Hiroko ran off to find the vacuum cleaner.  
  
"What about me? I'm not that good with cleaning and stuff, but I can help too."  
  
"It's okay, Kasumi. I'll manage." Takeshi wiped his face on his sleeve.  
  
"Feeling a bit hot, Ta-kun? I had no idea I had that effect on men."  
  
"Kasumi!" Takeshi playfully tapped her on the head with his hammer. Kasumi stood up.  
  
"I'll go get you a towel," she yelled, still giggling as she ran down the hall.  
  
**************************************  
  
Takeshi stood back to admire his work. With the help of Kasumi and Hiroko, he had managed to repair the door, tighten the plumbing for the outdoor bath and restring the clothesline. `It was damn hard work,' Takeshi thought to himself. `Judging by the appearances of the other two, they would probably agree.'  
  
"There's nothing quite as satisfying as seeing the results of your own hard work," commented Hiroko as she stretched her weary muscles.  
  
"I agree," said Kasumi.  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
The trio collapsed on the floor under the clothesline, enjoying the gentle breeze that was blowing on the roof.  
  
"Ta-kun, what was it like over there, anyway?"  
  
"Huh? It was, well, I can't exactly describe it. It's a bit like the United States, but the people there are nicer."  
  
"I've never been over to America either. Were there lots of kangaroos and other animals?"  
  
"I lived in a city, not a zoo. I stayed at the dorm most of the time, so I never really saw the countryside."  
  
"Did you get to meet any of those pretty, blonde Australian girls?"  
  
"Ww-what! No! I mean yes! Of course I did!" Takeshi saw the look his two companions were giving him. "But not in the way you mean!"  
  
"Ara, really? Didn't you get up to anything with those curvaceous blonde babes? Something must have happened," said Kasumi, clearly amused with his reaction.  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Kasumi, you know what happens with my brother and girls," Hiroko said lazily. "He turns into my dad." She then stood up and did her impression of Keitaro by falling on top of Kasumi then pretending to get hit.  
  
They heard someone walking up the stairs but were too tired to respond. Mizuki sat on the floor beside them.  
  
"Um, everyone?"  
  
"What's up, Mizuki-chan?" asked Takeshi.  
  
"Everyone was working so hard, so Mizuki felt guilty about breaking everything. Mizuki is sorry for breaking the clothesline and the door. And the bath as well" said Mizuki.  
  
"How did you break the bath?" asked Takeshi.  
  
"She tried to turn it into a potato boiler," answered Hiroko. "The pipes blew up and scared Tama-chan off. We haven't seen her for a week."  
  
"Don't worry. Tama-chan is going to come back. She always does."  
  
"I guess you're right, brother."  
  
Takeshi stood up and brushed himself off.  
  
"Well, that's enough rest. There's still a lot of cleaning to do".  
  
"I'll help, brother," said Hiroko.  
  
"I'll help as well," said Kasumi.  
  
"Mizuki too! Mizuki too!" said Mizuki, happy for the chance to release some pent up energy, cartwheeled after them.  
  
"Let's go then."  
  
*************************************  
  
Takeshi, Hiroko, Kasumi and Mizuki were all putting in the elbow grease needed to clean up the outdoor bath. Inside the now-drained bath, Takeshi and Mizuki were having a race to see who could clean their section the first. Kasumi was scrubbing the patio. Hiroko was dancing with her broom, cleaning the bath deck on her way. Yumiko walked in and looked around.  
  
"What's everybody doing?" she asked Kasumi.  
  
"They're cleaning the bath," she replied, confused as to why she had to state the obvious.  
  
"But why? Isn't that the kanrinin's job?"  
  
"Well, we live at this dorm, so it's our responsibility as tenants to help with some of the maintenance" replied Kasumi, still scrubbing. "Even if it wasn't, I'd help Takeshi out anyway."  
  
"I still think it isn't our job. I'm going back to my room, Kasumi". With that, Yumiko walked back inside.  
  
Takeshi and Mizuki had finished cleaning up the inside of the bath in record time, and it was now refilling with hot water from the spring. Kasumi was also finished and was putting away the bucket and the brush. Hiroko, still dancing around with her broom, was finishing up the stone floor of the bath.  
  
"You dance well, Hiroko."  
  
"Thank you, brother. I did take lessons, you know."  
  
"Ah, still aiming to be an idol?"  
  
"Of course. You know it's always been my dream to be one."  
  
"Yeah. Since you were five. You're nearly finished with the floor, right?"  
  
"Done," answered Hiroko, dusting off her hands. "Why?"  
  
"Would you care to dance?"  
  
Taking his sister's hands, he proceeded in leading her in a waltz around the bath. Kasumi and Mizuki joined in the fun, clapping in beat and following closely behind them.  
  
"You're pretty good, Takeshi. Where did you learn to dance like that?"  
  
"There was a final year's formal on at my old school, so I had to learn some."  
  
"Ara, you took that pretty Australian blonde, didn't you?"  
  
Takeshi tripped and fell on top of his sister, his hands in an awkward position. He quickly got up before Hiroko got annoyed and helped his sister stand back up.  
  
"No I...yes I did. But we were just friends. Noth...nothing more."  
  
Kasumi continued her line of questioning. "So you admit having slept with a pretty blonde girl, then?"  
  
"WHAT! That's just crazy! I did no such thing!"  
  
"But isn't that what you do after formals?"  
  
"No! It's about dancing, not trying to get into bed with someone!"  
  
"Ara, is that so?"  
  
"YES!" the two siblings yelled.  
  
"Then can I have the next dance?"  
  
"Of course you can, Ka-chan."  
  
"Mizuki's next!"  
  
**************************************  
  
Yumiko sat at her desk diligently working on one of the harder math problems in her textbook. Accidentally scattering a few notes and a couple of English novels she was studying, Yumiko turned to the back of her textbook to check her answer. `Wrong?!?!' She had attempted to solve several similar problems before, and they too had been incorrect. What she didn't understand is why she had gotten them wrong. The instructions in her book and her personal notes didn't help much either. Deciding that there wasn't anything more she could do for now Yumiko stood up to take a break from studying. Her aching neck and stiff joints reminded her of just how hard she had been working. After closing her books and trying to clean up her mess, Yumiko walked out of her room.  
  
After taking a light stroll along the corridors of Hinata Sou, Yumiko could feel the tension she had built up leaving her body. She stopped by the window to get some fresh air. A gentle spring breeze blew through the window carrying with it peals of laughter from the residents below. Yumiko leaned out to get a better view. Outside, Takeshi was dancing with Hiroko while Kasumi and Mizuki clapped the rhythm. `This must have been what it was like' thought Yumiko. Naru-san often told stories about how it was at Hinata Sou before Kasumi and Takeshi were born. There was Shinobu-san, who now owned a restaurant chain in Tokyo, and Kaolla-san, who was a princess of some tiny country. Motoko-san, the martial arts master, had long since moved back to Kyoto to run her dojo. Kasumi's mother, Mutsumi-san finished her science degree and went home to farm watermelons and raise hot spring turtles. Under Mutsumi-san's tutelage, Ema-san, the youngest of the group, had scored high enough to  
enter Todai and on completion, had moved to America. Of course, Kitsune-san was still here. Naru-san told of all the crazy adventures they had, criss-crossing the country on a wild goose chase, discovering lost civilisations and generally causing mayhem. How Yumiko wished she could do that.  
  
Yumiko looked out the window again to find Takeshi was now dancing with Kasumi, followed by Hiroko and her broom. Mizuki was keeping beat using her bucket as a drum. Yumiko allowed herself a small smile at the scene. Kasumi, who was having too much fun to pay attention, slipped and fell on top of Takeshi, who blushed so hard even Yumiko could see it from her viewpoint. `If he tries anything, I'm going to make him regret it'. A small part of her briefly wondered where that came from, but she ignored it for the moment. The others were now laughing about it.  
  
`They seem to be having a lot of fun'. Yumiko tried to remember the last time that she had laughed like they did but realised that she couldn't recall it. Her parents were very well off, and she spent most of her childhood attending various social functions. There was never an opportunity to have fun. Even now, she didn't spend much time with her so-called `friends' and avoided socialising with them. Yumiko knew they only liked her because she was popular with the boys and that sometimes they said mean things behind her back. Most other girls seemed to be intimidated by her beauty. That made being friends with them difficult. Yumiko could hear the others mopping and scrubbing outside.  
  
Yumiko returned to her room and looked inside. She had made quite a mess while studying in there. Yumiko sighed. She left her room, hoping to find something to occupy her for a while.  
  
***************************************  
  
Yumiko walked around the corridors rather randomly, not really caring where she ended up. Takeshi was hard at work mopping the corridor. Realising that she had nothing better to do, Yumiko decided to lend a hand.  
  
"Um, Takeshi, would you like some help?"  
  
"Oh, sure," he answered. "Er.... I think we got this level covered. You wouldn't mind doing the bedrooms downstairs, would you?"  
  
"No. That's fine."  
  
Takeshi looked more closely at her face.  
  
"Are you...I mean...is everything okay?"  
  
"Yes," she lied quickly. "The downstairs bedrooms, right?"  
  
Takeshi nodded, and Yumiko moved off towards the staircase.  
  
After passing by the kitchen to visit Kasumi who was also cleaning, Yumiko grabbed a mop and a bucket and proceeded to clean the floors of the rooms. Mizuki was already cleaning the hall at a breakneck pace, and Yumiko could hear her sliding and her random collisions with objects as she mopped. Yumiko decided to start on the room closest to her, which happened to be the Kanrinin's room. She went in and proceeded to mop the floor. The room was very sparsely furnished, and it wasn't long before she finished mopping. Yumiko was about to leave when a book fell from the shelf. Putting down the mop and bucket, she bent over to examine it. It was a sketchbook, and inside it were several illustrations of different places as well as pages of what appeared to be manga. She continued to look through it. After a couple more pages, Yumiko saw something that made her blood boil. Several pictures of a girl, all extremely well drawn and a few that were scantily clad, had been put into the  
sketchbook. This immediately reinforced Yumiko's opinion of Takeshi. `He is a pervert,' she declared to herself. `Just like all the other boys.' Yumiko was torn between alerting the others to his perversion and admitting that she looked through his belongings, and letting the matter go. She decided to wait until she thought of a better plan. Replacing the sketchbook before retrieving the bucket and the mop, she left the room to continue cleaning.  
  
****************************************  
  
There was a collective sigh of relief as the girls entered the newly cleaned hot spring. It had been a while since it was actually usable, and they had all missed their daily baths. The hot water was even more relaxing than usual. The heat worked away at their bodies, washing away the tension as well as the sweat. The setting sun made a beautiful backdrop against the sparkling water.  
  
"I'm so tired."  
  
"I have to agree," commented Yumiko to Hiroko. "At least the dorm is back in a liveable condition now."  
  
"Mizuki's not tired!"  
  
"That's because you're never tired, Mizuki." Kasumi sighed and sank into the bath up to her chin. Mizuki just smiled. "Just like old times."  
  
"What's like old times?" asked Yumiko.  
  
"All this cleaning. When I was little I used to help Uncle Keitaro do the cleaning all the time. Takeshi helped out too. Afterwards Takeshi and I would take a bath together."  
  
"So you too have known each other that long, huh? Wait a sec... YOU AND TAKESHI BATHED TOGETHER?!?!"  
  
The door slid open and Takeshi's head poked through.  
  
"Did someone call me? AH!!! I didn't realise! So sorry!"  
  
"You pervert! Taking baths with girls, and peeking on them too! I bet that you're going to draw all of this in your sketchbook now, along with all your other hentai drawings!"  
  
"It was an accident! Wait, you looked through my sketchbook?"  
  
"...Maybe I did. But you're still a no-good pervert!"  
  
"Hehehe. Takeshi's a BIG pervert," responded Mizuki.  
  
"Brother, you know how much that kind of thing annoys me."  
  
"Ara, it's been a long time since we've taken a bath together but aren't we a bit too old for this now?"  
  
"OUT! NOW!" shouted the girls in unison.  
  
Takeshi was forced out by various flying bath utensils, most of them launched by Yumiko. Several connected and hit him through the door and out into the corridor.  
  
"Yumiko-sempai, what were you saying about my brother's sketchbook before?"  
  
"He's got this sketchbook in his room, and it's filled up with all these perverted pictures."  
  
"My brother really isn't that kind of guy."  
  
"That's what you think."  
  
"Hiroko-chan is right. Takeshi isn't like that. You've seen those pictures in my room, haven't you?"  
  
Yumiko nodded.  
  
"Takeshi gave them to me before he left. He draws really well."  
  
" I guess he does," replied Yumiko, tightening her towel before leaving the bath. "But I still think he's a nerdy letch."  
  
*************************************  
  
"I'm home."  
  
"Hi, mum. Dinner's all done. Just waiting for dad to come home" said Takeshi from the couch. Everybody else was watching the news on TV.  
  
"Oh, ok." Naru looked around her home to see everything sparkling and clean. "Wow! This place looks great. Good job, Takeshi."  
  
"It wasn't all me, mum. The girls did a lot of the work."  
  
"Then, thank you everyone."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
Naru looked at the clock and frowned. "What's taking Keitaro so long? He should be back by now."  
  
Keitaro came bursting in the door, running with his briefcase in tow.  
  
"Sorry I'm late everybody."  
  
In his haste, he didn't notice the sparkling-clean floorboards. He tried to stop, but his forward momentum kept him moving. As a last ditch effort, he placed his hands in front of him to avoid a bone crunching collision. In theory it was a good plan. Unfortunately, his hands landed directly his wife's chest. She began to glow an angry red.  
  
"KEITARO!!"  
  
"EEEEKK! SORRY!"  
  
"How many times do I have to tell you? NOT! IN! PUBLIC!!!"  
  
Naru's wind-up punch sent Keitaro out the way he came in. He could be heard bouncing down the stairs. Naru calmed down after her anger had been released.  
  
"Let's have dinner now. I'm starving."  
  
Kitsune walked through the door, with a bottle of sake in her hand and grinning at the sight she just saw.  
  
"Hey, I just saw Keitaro flying out the door. Guess it's time for dinner, then."  
  
"Are you leeching off us again, Kitsune?"  
  
"You wouldn't want your best friend to go hungry now, would you Naru?"  
  
Naru let out an exasperated sigh.  
  
***************************************  
  
Yumiko was studying a history text when there was a knock on the door. Throwing her book onto the mess that was her table, she stood up to answer it. It was Kasumi, and she appeared to be holding a large pile of math textbooks.  
  
"Yumiko, you're not busy now, are you?"  
  
"Not really. Stuck on some math problems?"  
  
"Quite a few, actually."  
  
"Well come in before you drop everything."  
  
Yumiko moved out of the way to allow Kasumi through the door. Unable to find any table space, Kasumi dropped her books on the floor and began flipping through their pages to find the questions she was stuck on.  
  
"I'm not sure how to do these kind of problems."  
  
Yumiko nodded as she read through them, then looked up at Kasumi and gave her a small smile.  
  
"To be honest with you, I have no idea how to do them either. I was going to ask you tomorrow."  
  
Kasumi thought for a moment, then jumped up and walked towards the back of the room.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"I'm getting us some help." Kasumi kneeled next to the trapdoor and knocked on it three times. "Ta-kun, are you there?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Kasumi opened the trapdoor. "Can you come up here for a moment? Yumiko and I need some help on a math problem."  
  
Yumiko looked away and held her chin up high. "I don't want help from that pervert." Takeshi, however, didn't hear her.  
  
"Okay. What's the problem on?"  
  
"Advanced anti-differentiation."  
  
Takeshi grabbed a book from his shelf and climbed through the trapdoor. Kasumi helps him.  
  
"Let's see the problem. Oh, I want to see all your workings too,"  
  
Kasumi hands the textbook and her exercise book to Takeshi. Yumiko reluctantly follows suite.  
  
"I really hate these problems. Why would I want to know the gradient of an anthill to two decimal places anyway?" Takeshi opened up his own textbook. "This example makes much more sense. You solve it the same way." He worked it out and then underlined the errors the other two had made. "You need to insert the values after the anti-differentiation, or otherwise your answer is totally screwed up."  
  
"Ara, is that it?"  
  
Yumiko wasn't exactly paying attention. Instead she was looking at a beautiful sketch of a sparrow on a blank area of Takeshi's textbook. Takeshi noticed where she was staring.  
  
"Oh. That. I got bored during class." Yumiko looked at him with understanding.  
  
Someone else was knocking on the door again. Yumiko went over to answer it.  
  
"Oh Hiroko-chan, what's the matter?"  
  
"Is my brother here?"  
  
"What's the matter?" asked Takeshi from where he was sitting.  
  
"I think there's someone sneaking around downstairs."  
  
"It might be Tama-chan back from vacation. You girls don't need my help anymore, do you?" The girls shook their heads. Takeshi stood up and dropped his book back into his room. "I'll go take a look then."  
  
Hiroko led him out of the room and down the corridor, towards the stairs.  
  
***************************************  
  
The siblings were walking slowly down the corridor when they heard someone else's footsteps. Takeshi signalled for Hiroko to stop walking, and to keep quiet. They heard someone talking.  
  
"I'm sorry for hitting you so hard before, honey. Is it still sore?"  
  
"A little bit."  
  
"Let me make it better, then."  
  
The sound of kissing could be heard. Takeshi and Hiroko let out sighs of relief. It was just their parents.  
  
"You know Kei, the kids did a lot of cleaning today."  
  
"I know, Naru. I did slip on the floor."  
  
"They got the bath working too."  
  
"Did they?"  
  
"Uh-huh." More kissing sounds could be heard. "How about you and I go and test it together? Think of it as my way of apologising for hitting you."  
  
"Mmmmm. I like the way you think." Keitaro carried Naru off towards the hot springs.  
  
Their two children had fallen on the floor, looking extremely pale and trying to hold down their dinner. Takeshi was first to regain his speech.  
  
"Mum and dad..."  
  
"...Are taking a bath together."  
  
"Ewww, that's so gross!" they said simultaneously.  
  
"I'm going to be mentally scarred for the rest of my life." Takeshi winced as disgusting mental images popped up. "To think I have to clean that bath."  
  
"Ha! What about me? I have to use it!"  
  
"I feel so sorry for you, little sis."  
  
"Let's get out of here. I don't want to hear anything else."  
  
The two ran straight for their rooms, trying to fall asleep as quick as they could to avoid dwelling on the incident for too long.  
  
************************************  
  
Takeshi walked into the kitchen for breakfast, after taking a quick shower. As usual, he had woken up early for training. All the girls were sitting at the table, with the exception of Hiroko since it was her turn to cook.  
  
"Where's mum and dad?" he asked his sister, who was cooking some eggs.  
  
"I don't know, they haven't come out yet."  
  
"That's strange. If they don't leave in two minutes they'll be late."  
  
The door opened and two human-shaped blurs rushed through.  
  
"It's all your fault we're late, Keitaro!"  
  
"My fault?! You weren't complaining last night!"  
  
"Don't be a letch. Just grab some toast and go, Keitaro, or we'll get stuck in the traffic."  
  
"Alright, Naru, alright! I'm coming. Bye kids!"  
  
"Bye!"  
  
A few moments passed before Takeshi turned to speak with his sister.  
  
"That was a bit too much information."  
  
"I don't feel like eating breakfast anymore."  
  
"Ara. Seems like auntie Naru and uncle Keitaro were in a love-love mood last night."  
  
Yumiko shrugged.  
  
"Hehe. Love-love. What a funny word. Love-love. Love-love!"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


	3. The New Arrivals: FIGHT!

Disclaimer: Love Hina is the property of the guys and girls of TV Tokyo, and the creation of Ken Akamatsu. This includes all characters that appear in Love Hina.  
  
Cherish Hina is MY property. Takeshi Urashima, Hiroko Urashima, Yumiko Nakamura, Kasumi Mitsumaru and Mizuki Kanashiro are MY characters. Please e- mail me at one_man_cult@hotmail.com if you want to use them, or if you want to post this story on your site.  
  
This is episode 3 of a 13 part series. I still need more beta-readers, editors and writers to help in the later chapters, so if you can provide ANY help whatsoever please reply at the above e-mail address. Reviews and constructive feedback are welcome. The more help and reviews I get, the faster I can finish an episode. No flames accepted. I mean, no-one's FORCING you to read this.  
  
Warning: This piece of fanfiction contains heaps and heaps of original characters. To all those who hate original characters (I really hate self- inserts), go break your butt on my foot. This also contains quite a few indirect spoilers for the manga series.  
  
Extra, EXTRA special thanks to:  
  
-The Archimage  
  
-Artful  
  
-IA Si (just temporarily)  
  
Once again, all credit goes to them. These guys rock! Really! They even put up with my bad grammar and misuse of language.  
  
Other pieces of fanfiction by either The Archimage or myself can be found on fanfiction.net.  
  
*************************************  
  
  
  
*Ring~ring**Ring~ring*  
  
"Hello. This is Hinata Sou. Naru Urashima speaking."  
  
"Hello, Naru. This is Motoko."  
  
"Oh, Motoko! How have you been?"  
  
"I've been quite well, thank you, but we can catch up later when I come in two days. I hope your idiot husband remembered to make arrangements."  
  
"Yeah, I made sure he did."  
  
"Good. Can you please put your son on the line? There is a favour I would like to ask of him."  
  
"Umm…sure. Hold on." Naru moved the phone so she didn't accidentally scream into Motoko's ear. "Takeshi, phone call! It's from your Aunt Motoko!"  
  
"Okay, mum. Be right there."  
  
Naru looked confused as she handed her son the phone.  
  
CHERISH HINA  
  
Episode 3: The new arrivals. FIGHT!  
  
"Aunt Motoko?"  
  
"Hello Takeshi-kun. I need to ask a favour of you."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I need you here at the dojo tomorrow."  
  
"Okay, I guess I can take the bullet train down there."  
  
"Good. See you tomorrow."  
  
"But you haven't told me why I need to go yet. And aren't you coming here in a few days anyway?"  
  
"Yes I will be there in a few days. I will explain everything to you when you arrive."  
  
"Stop being so cryptic, Aunt Motoko! Don't I have a say in this matter?"  
  
"No. I don't think I should tell you anything until you arrive. "  
  
Takeshi sighed. "Fine then. Pick me up at the train station tomorrow morning. I'll be taking the first train there."  
  
"Very well. Good-bye, Takeshi-kun."  
  
"Bye Aunt Motoko."  
  
Takeshi scratched his head, thinking of why his Aunt Motoko would want him to go to her dojo. 'Aunt Motoko is usually more straightforward than that. I wonder why she wants me there for? Maybe it's to baby-sit for her. Fighting skills would be useful then.' Motoko's twins, Masaru Kiriten and Iwako Aoyama, were about the same age as Hiroko. Motoko had insisted that her daughter keep her maiden family name so that tradition could be continued. As expected, Motoko had started training them in the Shinmeiryu arts since they were very young, although it had been a long time since Takeshi had seen them. 'I wonder what they're like now? The last time I saw them they were still three.'  
  
*****************************************  
  
Takeshi had left early in the morning, and was eating some rice from a bento he had purchased earlier at the train station. He watched the scenery rush by his window as he sipped on a cup of tea. The passenger next to him, a young European boy around 7 years old, was busy playing on his Game Boy.  
  
"Richard, dear. Stop playing that thing for a while. It's bad for your eyes," said the boy's mother.  
  
"Just a bit longer. I've nearly passed stage 4."  
  
The boy's mother gave him one of those stern looks only mothers could give, and the boy relented. Less than five minutes later, the boy was already kicking the chair in front of him in boredom, and annoying the heck out of the passenger in front of him.  
  
"You want to swap seats?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, thanks mister," replied the boy, surprised at Takeshi's English skills.  
  
"No problem," replied Takeshi, getting up so they could swap. The passenger previously in front of the child gave Takeshi a look of thanks. The boy sat down and watched the countryside pass by. 'I still have no idea why Aunt Motoko wants me in Kyoto. I don't think it's a social call, since she's going to be moving to the mountain cottage anyway.' He continued to eat his breakfast. 'Perhaps she invented the fourth version of the 'Zanmaken: Ni No Tachi' attack and she needed someone to try it on. I remember mum telling me how she had perfected it by practicing on dad. Lucky he's invulnerable.' With his breakfast finished, Takeshi used the rest of his train trip to take a nap.  
  
***************************************  
  
Takeshi was woken from his slumber by the squeaking of seats and the shuffling of feet. Standing up and stretching his stiff muscles, Takeshi grabbed his bag and umbrella and followed the other passengers off the train.  
  
"Why is this guy so special again?"  
  
"Don't you ever listen to me, Masaru? His name is Takeshi Urashima, and he's a master of the Urashima martial arts. A long time ago, a man travelled across Asia to learn different types of martial arts. The fighting style created became known as the Urashima martial arts, after it's first master. My demon sword," said Motoko as she rattled her sword, "was given to that man as a symbol of acceptance.  
  
"So this guy's pretty good."  
  
"He's better than you."  
  
"Everyone's better than you," added his sister.  
  
"Ha! If everyone's better than me, and I'm better than you, what does that make you Iwako?"  
  
"You're not better than me."  
  
"He has arrived," indicated Motoko, indicating the ticket gate Takeshi was coming through.  
  
It wasn't hard for Takeshi to find his Aunt Motoko, since she was taller than usual Japanese women. She was also wearing her traditional kendo outfit, which made her stand out even more. Accompanying her was whom Takeshi assumed her two children, Iwako and Masaru.  
  
"Hi Aunt Motoko."  
  
"Welcome, Takeshi-kun. I trust that you had a comfortable journey?"  
  
"It wasn't too bad. Not too good for the legs, though."  
  
"You remember the twins, don't you?" Motoko indicated her two children. By appearance, it was almost impossible to tell that Iwako and Masaru were related, let alone twins. Whereas Iwako was tall and elegant, like her mother, Masaru was short, broad and heavily built.  
  
"Hi, Iwako. Masaru."  
  
"Hey Takeshi. 'Sup?" Masaru greeted with a slight nod of his head.  
  
Iwako bowed slightly in acknowledgement, preferring to say nothing.  
  
"We'd better leave then. We have much to discuss, Takeshi-kun."  
  
The group moved through the crowds towards the exit, staying close to Motoko. People automatically moved out of her way as soon as they saw her sword, parting and creating a path for the group to walk.  
  
***************************************  
  
After a short taxi trip they reached the Kiriten residence, a very old traditional styled house set on the mountainside. Takeshi had only been here once before when he was very young. Aunt Motoko usually visited them a couple of times a year. The house was very neat and orderly, in stark contrast to Hinata.  
  
"I guess I should tell you why you're here."  
  
"Please."  
  
"The Martial Arts Society of Japan is holding an exhibition tournament, of which I am the host."  
  
"Go on."  
  
"A competitor pulled out at the last moment, and you were the only one I could contact on such short notice. I need you to take that competitor's spot."  
  
"Wait, this isn't a Shinmeiryu tournament, is it? My dad taught me so I'm not that good."  
  
"It is a freestyle tournament. Weapons will be allowed and the first fighter to land a successful blow wins."  
  
"I'm not sure I'm good enough for this."  
  
"I'm quite sure that you are. If it's any consolation, these two will be competing too."  
  
"That's because I'm the best!" Masaru bragged, with an annoying smile on his face.  
  
"At being a letch, maybe," retorted his sister retorted in monotone.  
  
Takeshi ignored the twin's argument. "Okay, I'll enter. I probably won't get far, though."  
  
"That doesn't matter," answered Motoko as she got up. "The tournament starts tomorrow. I'll show you the way to the guestroom."  
  
***************************************  
  
Although school had finished for the day, it was still full of students preparing for the upcoming sports carnival. It wasn't compulsory for the senior students to participate, but Yumiko, being a class representative, had to help with the organization. Kasumi decided to stay behind and keep her company. They were sitting on the makeshift grandstand that had just been erected. Yumiko's other friends were also there, but they were busy looking at all the boys down below practicing on the track.  
  
"Do you know what events Mizuki is in, Kasumi?"  
  
"They're allowed in four solo events and two relays, aren't they? I think she's doing the hurdles, the high jump, the 100m sprint and the long jump. I think she's in a hurdles relay and a 4 x 100 metre relay as well."  
  
"That's a lot of events. I don't know how she does it."  
  
"Sugar coated red jelly beans?"  
  
"Hiroko has to take part in an event too, doesn't she. Is she in the triple jump or the sprint?"  
  
"I think it's the sprint."  
  
The two continued to observe the activity below them. Many were setting up the equipment or putting up the decorations. Some, like Mizuki, were practicing on the track.  
  
"I'm glad Takeshi is back."  
  
"Why? I don't know what you see in that dork anyway. He's so boring and he's a pervert, too. He's so uncool. Why couldn't he be more like his dad?"  
  
"Hey! Don't say that about my best friend! Takeshi's not a pervert. He's really nice. He just…has trouble opening up to people."  
  
"Maybe he doesn't want to reveal the inner dweeb."  
  
"Stop that! Why can't you be a little nicer to him? You're always so mean to everyone"  
  
"I'm sorry. It's just that…well…everybody else expects me to behave this way and I have to keep up appearances. All of those people keep following me around just because my parents are rich, you know, and if I don't act the snob they'll probably think of some way to blackmail me. "  
  
"I don't quite understand, Yumiko."  
  
"Don't worry, in my head it's all right. I just can't put it into words."  
  
"Why don't you just tell those people you don't like them?"  
  
"I've tried that already. Greed does really strange things to people."  
  
*************************************  
  
By the time Takeshi and his companions arrived, the crowd had already started filling into the stadium. A ring had been placed in the centre of the stadium, a square wooden platform, raised off the ground without any fencing around it. The judges' table stood besides it. Several competitors were ringside, warming themselves up.  
  
"Why don't you three get ready? I have to go over there and talk to the judges." Motoko headed off to the table, where the various martial arts masters greeted her.  
  
"Guess we better do what my mother says." The three teenagers began their warm up, slowly stretching and loosening their muscles so they wouldn't get strains.  
  
"My mum thinks that you're pretty good," Masaru tried to start conversation. "I'll probably still beat you to a pulp, though."  
  
"Yeah, probably," Takeshi admitted.  
  
"What?! You're not supposed to agree with me!"  
  
"It's true though. I probably will lose."  
  
"Are you stupid or something? You don't tell your opponents that! That ruins the pre-fight banter!"  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"I apologise for my brother's behaviour. He's like this all the time."  
  
"Eh, that's alright. It's not your fault"  
  
All the competitors had arrived and the competition was due to start. The announcer for the tournament took to the stage.  
  
"Testing, testing, one, two, three." Satisfied that the microphone was working properly, the announcer began. "Welcome everybody, to the exhibition Freestyle Martial Arts Tournament." The crowd cheered loudly. "The rules are simple. All styles of martial arts are allowed, and all competitors can use a weapon of their choice. The first to land a successful blow is declared the victor. Any competitor that lands outside the ring forfeits the match. If you all would kindly look towards the big screens, you will be able to see the competition tree, with the names of the competitors and their respective fighting styles listed. The first match between Iwako Aoyama and Kurt Freeton will begin in ten minutes."  
  
"Maybe I should use some type of weapon."  
  
"That's a good idea," said Iwako, "since the other competitors will probably have one." She drew her katana, making sure that it was still in good condition.  
  
"Don't you have some kind of sword?" asked Masaru.  
  
"I never needed one before. I'll have to make do with this then," answered Takeshi, taking out his umbrella.  
  
"You can't be serious," replied the other two, looking at Takeshi incredulously.  
  
****************************************  
  
The match was already underway, and Iwako seemed to have the upper hand. Her competitor seemed to be some kind of street thug with a chain, but Iwako had her Shinmeiryu technique to help her. 'The match won't last long,' thought Takeshi. His own match was next, but he had to discuss a few issues with Aunt Motoko first.  
  
"Aunt Motoko, why did you put down my nickname in the registration for? You know how much I hate it."  
  
"I'm sorry, but I thought it would be cute."  
  
"Cute? Cute?! How on earth is 'The Devil' cute? I should have never told you about it." If Takeshi had a deep, dark secret, this would be it. He had been given this nickname during his stay overseas, but he never told people about it unless he was forced to.  
  
"Oh, well. Too late now." Iwako had just won her first round match. "It's your turn now. I think you should get a move on."  
  
"We'll deal with this later."  
  
"Presenting match two of the second round: Chu 'Hornet' Ho-Mun versus Takeshi 'The Devil' Urashima!" Takeshi flinched as his nickname was called out, ignoring the cheering crowd behind him. Bowing to his opponent, took a standard defensive stance and opened his umbrella. His challenger took stance too, preparing his nunchaku in front of him. The crowd cheered even louder. Obviously they were eager to see what his umbrella could do. His opponent attacked first with a series of incredibly fast and powerful hits. It was clear that he was using Jeet Kuen Do, and because of his style and weapon it was extremely hard for others to predict where the next attack will hit. Fortunately, Takeshi had seen it all before through his father and his Great-uncle Seta. He could mimic most of the techniques so he knew where his opponent was going to attack next. 'This is going to be ridiculously easy,' Takeshi thought to himself. 'Fighting fire with fire.' Parrying the onslaught until he saw an opening, Takeshi unleashed his 'Rain Dance' attack. He attacked with a series of off balance moves, much like drunken boxing, his strange weapon adding to the confusion. After several attempts he caught his opponent of guard and stopped before he struck the final blow. The judges' bell was rung.  
  
"The match has ended. The winner of the match is Takeshi 'The Devil' Urashima." The crowd applauded as the contestants bowed once again to each other, then to the judges.  
  
Takeshi hopped off the platform, once again joining the others.  
  
Masaru's smile showed that he was a bit impressed. "That was pretty neat, Takeshi."  
  
"Thanks, Masaru. You two probably wouldn't fall for something like that, though."  
  
"Well I wouldn't, but my sister's so uptight she probably wouldn't expect it."  
  
"I'm sitting right here, you know. Anyway, that guy wasn't very strong."  
  
Masaru scoffed loudly. "What would you know about guys, Iwako?"  
  
"I know that they can't be all like you, Masaru."  
  
****************************************  
  
The sun had reached the top of Hinata's mountain range, and the girls were on their way back home. Yumiko's other friends had left them earlier, since they lived in the other direction. At least they managed to get seats on the tram. After the long day everyone was tired.  
  
"Where did Takeshi go today, anyway? I didn't see him this morning."  
  
"Ara, do you miss him already, Yumiko?" Mizuki and Hiroko sniggered.  
  
"It's not like that! I was just curious as to where he was, that's all."  
  
"Mum mentioned something about brother going to Kyoto."  
  
"Why did he go there?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"That's strange."  
  
The tram arrived at the stop for Hinata and the group disembarked.  
  
"How long have you known Takeshi for, Kasumi?"  
  
"I've known him well, forever."  
  
"That long, huh? You must know him pretty well then."  
  
"That's true."  
  
"You two seem like you get along well together. Have you ever…you know…gone out with him?"  
  
"I dated him once but it didn't work out."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"It was like dating a brother, fun but really weird.. It was nice while it lasted, though. "  
  
"So do you love him?"  
  
"I guess I do, in a way." Kasumi snapped out of her dreamy state and a smirk came upon her lips. "Why are you asking me this stuff anyway? Ara, I know why! Yumiko must be interested in Takeshi!" Kasumi ran up the stairs to Hinata Sou, leaving the other three behind.  
  
"No I'm not!" shouted Yumiko as she ran after Kasumi. Mizuki and Hiroko were two busy laughing to follow.  
  
*************************************  
  
The trio had made their way though the tournament without any major dramas. There was an incident in the second round, however, where a female ninja had ran off crying because allegedly Masaru had groped her bottom. Masaru denied everything, but Takeshi suspected otherwise. The three competitors were now in the semi-final, with Takeshi fighting against Iwako first up.  
  
"I want you two to give your best out there. No mercy because you know each other, is that clear?" Motoko told them.  
  
"Believe me, I will not be giving him any mercy."  
  
"I'll try my best."  
  
"I'll see you two when the fight is over."  
  
The announcer once again took to the stage.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen. We're down to our final four competitors, and the fights are really starting to heat up. The first of our semi-final matches is between the reigning junior kendo champion and young Shinmeiryu artist, Iwako Aoyama. Her opponent is Takeshi 'The Devil' Urashima, who would be the underdog in this match up." Takeshi winced once again as his most hated nickname was used.  
  
The two walked up onto the fighting arena as the crowd cheered. Iwako and Takeshi bowed to each other before taking fighting stance. They looked at each other, seeing who would make the first move. Something inside Takeshi clicked. He felt sluggish and his arms felt all numb. His legs went wobbly and butterflies floated in his stomach. 'Uh-oh,' thought Takeshi, 'this isn't good.' Before he knew it, Iwako was charging towards him, sword at the ready. Although her strikes were not particularly hard or fast, she used a lot of her ki for each attack. What Takeshi would usually find easy to defend against suddenly seemed incredibly hard. Within a few moves, Iwako had breached Takeshi's defences and was in position to strike the final blow. The judges' bell had rung. The match was over and Iwako had won. Bowing to each other and the judges, the two fighters left the arena.  
  
"A weakling, as I thought," muttered Iwako.  
  
Takeshi walked down the corridor towards the change rooms, but Motoko stopped him.  
  
"What happened out there? You weren't giving mercy out there, were you?" Motoko looked slightly annoyed.  
  
"Of course not! I really don't know what happened, Aunt Motoko."  
  
"Try and tell me about it."  
  
"Well, I was looking at Iwako and then I realised that she was a girl."  
  
"Of course she's a girl. So?"  
  
"And she's…you know..."  
  
"She looks a lot like me, doesn't she?" Takeshi gave her a strange look. "Oh, sorry. Go on."  
  
"Something happened inside of me and I felt all strange, like my body wasn't working properly and my mind couldn't focus."  
  
"I think I know what it is. Urashima syndrome."  
  
Takeshi looked extremely confused.  
  
"The symptoms are extreme clumsiness and stupidity when faced with anything female," said Motoko thoughtfully.  
  
"I think I know what you're talking about. I've felt this before as well."  
  
"Don't worry, it'll cure itself."  
  
"When?"  
  
"When you get a girlfriend."  
  
"So, in other words, never."  
  
"Oh, you'll find someone someday, Takeshi-kun. You're such a cute boy, so much like your father…" A dreamy glaze covered Motoko's eyes.  
  
"Snap out of it, Aunt Motoko. I'm not that much like him."  
  
"That's what you think. I have to go now. My perverted son has a match. Why couldn't he be more like you, Takeshi-kun? Why? Where did I go wrong?" Motoko lamented as she headed towards the stadium.  
  
"What a strange woman," said Takeshi to nobody in particular, continuing his journey to the change room.  
  
**************************************  
  
After a quick shower, Takeshi made it back in time to watch the finals. Masaru had won a tough semi-final match against a Wudan swordsman, and was now in the final against his twin sister. Taking a seat next to his Aunt Motoko, Takeshi relaxed and waited for the match to start.  
  
"This should be a good match," he said to Motoko.  
  
"I agree. Those two are quite strong, even though they are still young. I don't think you should have too much trouble handling them. "  
  
Takeshi laughed about it. "Please, Aunt Motoko, you give me too much praise."  
  
"No I don't, Takeshi-kun. You're just way too modest for your own good."  
  
"So who do you think will win?" asked Takeshi, changing the subject.  
  
"It'll be a close call, but I think Iwako will win. Masaru hardly ever does any training."  
  
The two continued waiting until the match started.  
  
"The fight you've all been waiting for, folks. The finals of the Freestyle Martial Arts Tournament!" The crowd was ecstatic. "It's an all family affair today, with the fight against Iwako Aoyama, current junior kendo champ, and Masaru Kiriten, her twin brother. Both have been trained in the Shinmeiryu arts by their mother and host of this competition, Motoko Aoyama." Motoko stood up to bow to the crowd. "Let the finals begin!"  
  
"Are you ready?"  
  
"Bring it on, sis! Bring it on!"  
  
The finals started with a bang. The twins were quite evenly matched. Iwako had the better technique and stronger ki, but Masaru was physically stronger and faster, and was much less predictable in his movements. Iwako decided to finish the match, once and for all.  
  
"Zaniwaken!" yelled Iwako as she unleashed her attack. Masaru tried to block it, but the force of the ki pushed him backwards and out of the ring. The judges' bell rang for the last time. Iwako was the new champion.  
  
"The winner has been decided! Iwako Aoyama is the new champion!" the crowd gave their applause as one of the judges presented Iwako with the trophy, which she held up in triumph.  
  
***************************************  
  
That night, the four of them went out to dinner as a celebration of Iwako's victory. Since it was Iwako's celebration, she had chosen where they were going to eat, and had decided on a fancy Japanese place. Masaru however, was still not too happy about his sister beating him.  
  
"That was a cheap victory, pushing me out of the ring like that."  
  
"It was not. If you had trained a bit you could have deflected it."  
  
"Cheap! Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!"  
  
Iwako looked like she had enough of him. "Maybe we should call Aunt Tsuruko and ask her what she thinks..." she said darkly, getting a nasty gleam in her eye.  
  
Masaru immediately turned green. "Anyone but Aunt Tsuruko! Anyone! I'll be a good boy now."  
  
"Good."  
  
"What's this about your Aunt Tsuruko?"  
  
"Masaru accidentally tried to hit on her once," Iwako explained. "He was punished. Severely. He mistook her for the tofu-shop lady. "  
  
"Sounds painful."  
  
The feast they had ordered arrived and they started eating.  
  
Motoko, Masaru, Iwako and Takeshi had all finished their meals and were now relaxing and waiting for their meals to settle.  
  
"You know that I will be moving temporarily to the Hinata mountains, don't you Takeshi-kun?"  
  
"Yeah, I do. Why are you moving, anyway?"  
  
"I haven't had a vacation in years. I just want to relax a little, maybe finish off my novel and change my surroundings a bit."  
  
"What about the dojo?"  
  
"My husband will take care of that."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I've also arranged for Iwako to stay at the Hinata Sou."  
  
"Eh?!" Both Iwako and Takeshi exclaimed in surprise.  
  
"It would be good for you, Iwako. There is more to life than just martial arts."  
  
Iwako looked like she was about to argue, but she held back. "Yes, mother." She knew there would be no point.  
  
"See, sis? Even mum agrees with me." Iwako elbowed Masaru in the ribs.  
  
"You will be coming with me too, Masaru."  
  
"Do I get to stay at the girl's dorm?" asked Masaru, a big grin plastered to his face.  
  
"You will be staying with me in the mountains." Masaru's grin disappeared. "I have to take you with me. You're a bad influence on your father."  
  
"I taught him everything I know."  
  
"That's precisely what I mean. Oh, one last thing, before I forget." Motoko took her sword off her belt, and held it towards Takeshi. "This is for you."  
  
"Isn't this the…"  
  
"Yes, it's the Hina Blade. I noticed that you didn't have a sword, so you can have this. It belongs to your family, anyway. Your father just let me borrow it for a while."  
  
"Umm…mum, isn't that thing possessed by some spirit?" Masaru asked.  
  
"It's quite alright. Takeshi-kun should have less trouble using it than I do."  
  
"Well, thanks Aunt Motoko."  
  
"You're welcome, Takeshi-kun."  
  
**************************************  
  
"Hey everyone, I'm back."  
  
"Hi brother." Hiroko was sitting on the veranda, listening to her Walkman.  
  
"Where's mum and dad, Hiroko?"  
  
"We're right here," said Keitaro, walking outside to greet his son, with Naru beside him.  
  
"Aunt Motoko's arrived, and I've got some people I want all of you to meet. Hiroko, you wouldn't mind calling the others, would you?"  
  
"No problem."  
  
Motoko arrived at the top of the flight of stairs, along with numerous bags. Iwako and Masaru were no far behind, and were also carrying luggage. Takeshi assumed that it was all Iwako's.  
  
"Naru! I haven't seen you in such a long time."  
  
"I've missed you, Motoko," said Naru, pulling her close friend in for a hug.  
  
"I thought it was you," said Kitsune, coming up the stairs with a smile on her face. She too gave Motoko a hug. '"How have you been?"  
  
"Great. I guess I better give you a hug too, Urashima." Motoko went over to embrace Keitaro.  
  
"You pervert!" Naru threw a flying punch straight at Keitaro's head.  
  
"What did I do?" asked Keitaro as he soared over the horizon.  
  
"Oops, reflex action," said Naru, embarrassed. The others just laughed at seeing how little Naru had changed.  
  
"Iwako, Masaru, come over here. This is your Aunt Naru and Aunt Kitsune. The flying man is your Uncle Keitaro. He's also the kanrinin."  
  
"Well, actually, Keitaro's not the kanrinin any more. Takeshi is," Naru told Motoko.  
  
"Oh, is that so?" The three older women left to chat in the dormitory.  
  
Iwako's eyes narrowed. "So this weakling is going to look after me. Hmph."  
  
"Oooh, a new girl. New girl!" yelled Mizuki, running through the door and leaving a Mizuki shaped outline.  
  
"Um, this is Mizuki Kanashiro," explained Takeshi as Mizuki ran around Iwako, inspecting the newcomer.  
  
The other girls came through the hole the Mizuki had made. "This is my sister, Hiroko."  
  
"Hi."  
  
"My best friend Kasumi Misumaru."  
  
"Ara. Hello."  
  
"And this is Yumiko Nakamura."  
  
"Hi."  
  
"Girls, this is Iwako Aoyama. She's going to be staying with us, so please make her feel welcome." All the other girls and Takeshi stared at Yumiko.  
  
"What?" she asked, offended but not surprised. "I can be nice."  
  
"Oh, that's her perverted brother, Masaru Kiriten. Since he's a guy…" Masaru was too busy staring and drooling to pay any attention to what was being said. "…He won't be staying with us."  
  
"Now that everyone has been introduced, there's only one thing left to do. The famous Hinata Sou welcoming party!" suggested Kasumi.  
  
"Yay! Party, party! Mizuki likes parties!"  
  
A human blur came speeding up the stairs, stopping when it reached the group.  
  
"Did I hear party?" asked Kitsune, bottles of sake in hand.  
  
"Ok then. Let's go!" exclaimed Kasumi, leading the group back into the inn, followed by Naru and Motoko and finally a slightly messy Keitaro. The only one left outside was Masaru.  
  
"So many cute girls," Masaru bemoaned, falling on his knees. "Why won't they let me stay here?! It's not fair!" 


	4. Sports Day: COMFORT?

Disclaimer: Love Hina is the property of the guys and girls of TV Tokyo, and the creation of Ken Akamatsu. This includes all characters that appear in Love Hina. 

Cherish Hina is MY property. Takeshi Urashima, Hiroko Urashima, Yumiko Nakamura, Kasumi Mitsumaru and Mizuki Kanashiro are MY characters. Please e-mail me at one_man_cult@hotmail.com if you want to use them, or if you want to post this story on your site. 

This is episode 4 of a 13 part series. Reviews and constructive feedback are welcome. The more help and reviews I get, the faster I can finish an episode. No flames accepted. I mean, no-one's FORCING you to read this. 

Warning: This piece of fanfiction contains heaps and heaps of original characters. To all those who hate original characters (I really hate self-inserts), go break your butt on my foot. This also contains quite a few indirect spoilers for the manga series. 

Extra, EXTRA special thanks to:

-The Archimage

-Ben Gardner

Thank these two for providing me with pre-reads. A bit of bad timing on my part resulted in me giving everybody the beta version during final/mid-year exams. To all those I didn't receive reads from, gomen nasai!! I just wanted to release this during the holidays. 

Other pieces of fanfiction by either The Archimage or myself can be found on fanfiction.net. 

*****************************************

It was early morning at Hinata Sou, but already several of its residents were awake, preparing for the day ahead. In the dining room Naru and Keitaro were eating breakfast so they could get to Todai on time for a morning staff meeting. Keitaro really hated these meetings; he really wasn't a morning person and the meetings were quite boring. Nevertheless, his wife took the time to wake him up, pour copious amounts of coffee down his throat and shove him into the van, with him driving a little haphazardly towards Todai. 

Takeshi was awake as well, as was usual for him, and was practicing some martial arts drills on the rooftop balcony. He found that if he didn't exercise during the morning, his shoulders and back would become unusually stiff during study. His drills were disrupted by Naru's head peeking through the door. 

"Takeshi, dear, we're leaving now. Take care of the others."

"Yes, mum."

"And don't forget to enrol into the tutorial school today."

"Of course, mum."

"Bye, then. See you tonight."

Naru disappeared downstairs again. Takeshi could hear her dragging his father to the van, along with Keitaro's protests of 'But I don't wanna!' All this ended with a screech of tires and the sight of a van shooting out of their parking space. Takeshi shook his head, amused by the scene. After so many years, his mother still had so much power over his father. 

CHERISH HINA

Episode 4: Sports Day. COMFORT?

'It's going to be a wonderful day today,' thought Takeshi. The sun was bright, even though there were a few clouds around. A gentle breeze was blowing, not cold but enough to keep the temperature comfortable. 'A perfect day to be outside.' Takeshi's ears caught the sound of someone coming up the stairs. Apparently someone else had woken up, probably disturbed from slumber by his parents. Iwako was already changed into her uniform and was standing at the door, sword in hand. 'Judging be the short skirt,' thought Takeshi, 'it was probably Kasumi's old uniform. It seems to be a looser fit though. Kasumi must have really filled that jumper out.' Her almost-waist-length raven hair was held back by a bow, which was fluttering in the wind. 

"Prepare yourself, Urashima," Iwako said before throwing him the cursed Hina Blade. Takeshi unsheathed it just in time to parry the first wave of attacks. 

'This sword is really weird,' thought Takeshi. 'Aunt Motoko said that there was an evil spirit in here, but it still seems strange for an evil spirit.' Takeshi was snapped out of his thoughts when a sword whistled through the air and stopped only moments before connecting with his head. A sound of surprise escaped his lips. 

"I've got to get breakfast ready now, so I've got to go. You don't mind waking the others up, do you?"

Iwako pondered this for a minute before proposing, "Only if you make me two eggs, sunny side up, and extra lunch then no, I don't mind."

"Deal" replied Takeshi, making a hasty retreat. 

************************************

Takeshi was working over the stove when he was hugged from behind. 

"Good morning."

"Get off me, Ka-chan! I'm trying to cook breakfast here. I don't want to burn anything."

"Ara! Sorry!" said Kasumi, looking slightly sheepish. 

"That's okay. Is everyone ready yet? After breakfast we're all leaving straight away."

"Your sister and Mizuki still need to get changed, and I think Yumiko's still asleep."

"No, I'm awake," said Yumiko from the door. 

"Oh, good morning," greeted Takeshi. "Kasumi, could you tell Iwako that breakfast is almost ready? And ask the other two to stop playing around and get changed. We don't want to be late for the opening."

"Okay," answered Kasumi merrily, skipping out towards the hallway and accidentally bumping into Takeshi. He lost balance, and to avoid falling on the hot stove he desperately tried to grab on to the nearest handhold he could find. Relieved to avoid such a nasty accident, he let out a sigh. 

"KYAAAH! PERVERT!"

Takeshi looked towards the source of the scream, and saw that his hand had caught Yumiko's shirt and had pulled it halfway open. She looked extremely angry. It was definitely not a good sign of things to come. 

Takeshi winced, "If you're going to hit me, make sure Iwako's eggs are sunny side up when I leave."

"Fine, Is that all you have to say for yourself?!" answered Yumiko while slapping Takeshi across the room. 

A figure leapt through the window and into the kitchen. 

"Never fear! Masaru Kiriten is here! Defender of peace, justice and hot babes everywhere!"

"What are you doing here?" asked Yumiko, having already buttoned her shirt up but still slightly annoyed from before.

"I heard a damsel in distress. Did you scream? I could 'rescue' you now and then we can go back to my place and we could…"

"Get lost, creep."

"Okay, okay," said Masaru, raising hands up defensively. 

Takeshi came back into the kitchen, rubbing the large red mark on his cheek. "Hey Masaru. What are you doing here?"

"Why is everybody asking that? If you must know," said Masaru, rolling his eyes in mock exasperation, "I've got to go to school and I have no idea where it is."

"Oh yeah. It's your first day isn't it?"

"You're going to school looking like that?" asked Yumiko. Masaru's yellow-dyed hair had been gelled up, and his shirt was already untucked. His pants were too large for him, and he was wearing an extremely long chain on them. "You've got to take off that earring. The school doesn't allow jewellery."

Masaru sighed and took the sleeper out. 

"And don't tell me you're going out looking like that, Takeshi." 

Takeshi looked down at himself. He was wearing his usual oversized jumper and worn-in old jeans. 

"I don't see anything wrong with what I'm wearing."

"You look like a slob."

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Masaru mouthing the word 'women'. Takeshi had to agree. 

**************************************

All the Hinata Sou residents made their way towards the school where they all, minus Takeshi, were attending. Heading the group was Mizuki, who kept running in front of the group and then running back, followed closely by Hiroko, who was trying to calm her friend down. The two of them seemed excited about the day's events. Iwako kept a close watch on them. Yumiko and Kasumi followed, apparently having a conversation about the opening festivities. Bringing up the rear were Masaru and Takeshi, having been made to take everybody's lunch and the day's supplies. Neither of them wanted this job, but they had to do it anyway. Yumiko reminded Takeshi that 'as kanrinin, it is your job to help us'. Masaru, however, was a sucker for a pretty face (and a nice body), and Kasumi knew how to use hers well. 

"Hey sis, give us a hand, would 'ya?"

"Why should I?" asked Iwako. 

"You're gonna eat everything anyway, so you should carry it."

"No."

"Fine. Be like that." Masaru sulked slightly. 

They reached the front gate of the school, where Mizuki and Hiroko ran off to report in to the marshalling area. The others decided to get good seats on the grandstand. After moving around for a while, they managed to get a spot that was shaded by a tree, and where they could see everything. Iwako and Masaru sat with them; being new to the school they didn't have to participate. 

"It's going to be a great day today," said Yumiko, trying to start conversation. 

"Huh? Yeah, lucky the weather is nice. I wouldn't fancy sitting out here on a hot day," answered Takeshi. 

"Why did you come, anyway?"

"Well, it's not like I have anything else to do. And since my mum and dad couldn't make it they sent me here to support Hiroko." Takeshi gave a less than enthusiastic cheer. "Yay."

**************************************

It was already half past nine and the opening was due to start. The stands had been filled and many of the latecomers had to take seats on the ground next to it. The group had spread out their possessions as best they could in order to get the most space. Hiroko and Mizuki were down on the grounds with the other competing students. They were to walk a lap of the track before the events actually started. Kasumi was playing with the video camera they had borrowed off Takeshi's father. 

Apart from the senior students sitting in the stands, many parents had shown up to support their children in the competition. Takeshi could see the friendly banter going on between the fathers of two best friends, talking about how hard their sons had trained for the events. A group of mothers was huddled together halfway down the stand, catching up on the latest gossip. Some parents were setting up tripods for cameras to record their child's triumphant moment. Other parents, Takeshi noticed, were dressed in their business suits and skirts, ready to race off back to work as soon as their child's event was over. A few senior students had passed by to greet Yumiko and Kasumi. Judging by the looks of things, Yumiko was quite popular around the school. A number of boys had asked her to join them, but she had politely declined, preferring to spend time with the rest of the Hinata Sou residents. 

The headmaster of the school stood up on the presentation stage, and addressed all the students and guests. Making a brief speech about the history of the competition, and a short summary on the events of the day, he introduced the school band, which started playing the school song. The students marched out onto the track, split into form groups. The youngest of the students walked first, and Takeshi noticed how nervous they looked about the whole event. Many parents stood up to wave at their children, who waved back. 

Hiroko and Mizuki were in the fourth group to walk out. The students here seemed a lot less nervous than the first group, though some students still had the jitters. Both the girls were in the school sports uniform, which consisted of short gym shorts and a white t-shirt. This was the clothing that Mizuki Kanashiro wore most of the time, even at the dorm, but Hiroko looked a little less than comfortable parading in front of everyone in that attire. 'I feel sorry for her,' thought Takeshi. He sighed. Masaru had already rushed up to the front fence, and if it weren't for his sister restraining him, Takeshi was sure that he would have rushed over the fence to get a closer look at all the girls. Takeshi and others stood up to wave to them, and the two girls waved back, with Mizuki jumping up and down with excitement. Hiroko tried to restrain some of her friend's enthusiasm, but to no avail. 

The band stopped playing, and the last of the students passed by. Kasumi handed the camera to Takeshi so he could place it on the tripod that he had set up. The headmaster made the announcement that the events were now beginning. 

*************************************

There was much activity going on down on the field as the students began to compete in their heats. As students ran on the track, others were participating in events such as shot put and discus throw. A few were taking final practice runs for their long jump. There were several students talking along the fence between the field and the spectators, cooling down after taking their run. 

"Competitors in the girl's under-15's 100 metre sprint heat 3 and under-14's long jump please head to the judge's table. Repeating that message: girl's under-15's 100 metres sprint heat 3 and under-14's long jump to the judge's table. Thank you." The message was broadcast on the PA system to ensure all the competitors were in one place. 

"Isn't Mizuki in heat 3?" asked Yumiko, giving Takeshi a light nudge to get his attention. 

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I think she is, but I'm not entirely sure," replied Takeshi. "Look, there she is," he said pointing towards the starting lane. 

After being assigned her lane, Mizuki looked for her friends in the grandstands. Kasumi, Yumiko and Takeshi had set up camp on the grandstand, and were all waving at her. She waved back enthusiastically. Hiroko was sitting in the competitors' area, waiting for her event. Masaru was near the fence between the field and the spectators, ogling at the various girls in sports uniform that passed by. Mizuki caught his eye and she decided to have a little fun, giving him a wink and a peace sign. This seemed to cause extra trouble for his sister, who was busy holding him back. Mizuki giggled to herself while making to the starting line. 

The competitors for this heat were all lined up at the starting line preparing themselves for the start of the race. Many of the parents were shouting encouragement down to their kids. 

"Come on sweetie! I believe in you!" shouted one mother. 

"Try your best, dear!" shouted another mother a couple of seats away. The two women gave each other cold stares before resuming their cheering. 

Some students in front of the Hinata crew were also paying attention to the race.

"Hey, who do you think is going to win this one?"

"I don't know. These are still the juniors, right?" answered another student. 

"Is that Kanashiro down there? If it is, then she'll win. She beat my sister last year in the finals."

"Kanashiro…Kanashiro… Didn't she win one of the sports awards last year?"

"Yeah, that's her."

Takeshi, overhearing the conversation, looked at Kasumi for explanation. 

"She won a lot of events in track and field last year and she's in a couple of sport teams," whispered Kasumi."

"Oh," replied Takeshi. 

"Hey you two," said Yumiko to get their attention. "Watch, they're about to start."

The girls were standing in their lanes, getting their feet onto the starting blocks. 

"On your marks!"

The girls bent over into ready position, waiting for the signal to start. 

*BANG*

The starting pistol went off, and the girls exploded from the starting blocks. It was a clean start, and the girls got away quickly. Already Mizuki had the lead, and was leading by half a step. They past the halfway point, and several girls were already falling behind. Mizuki now had a fairly commanding lead. As the finish line drew closer, Mizuki switched off, knowing that she had won and conserving the energy for later races. The others finished and they walked back towards the judge's table to retrieve their times. The girls that came second and third looked happy, knowing that they secured a spot in the semi-final. A few didn't seem to care as they only competed because it was compulsory. There were a few, however, that were being comforted by their parents, sobbing because they didn't make it into the next round. Mizuki saw a girl being hugged by the girl's parents, getting support from them. Mizuki's constant smile faded a little. 

************************************

"Where are you going, Kasumi?" enquired Takeshi. 

"Just visiting some friends," answered Kasumi as she got up. "Now you two lovebirds behave yourselves," admonished Kasumi jokingly. "I don't want to have to come back to pry you two apart."

"You know something like that's never going to happen," replied Yumiko. 

"Well, you never know. Bye!"

"Looks like it's just you and me, Takeshi."

"Yeah… I guess."

"We've never really had a chance to talk."

"Haha… yeah, not really. I'm… I'm not really the talking type, though."

"I didn't think so." A few moments of silence passed. "Tell me a bit about yourself."

"Um… I'm not sure where to start."

"At the beginning."

"I was born. I'm here now. The end."

"Come on! Stop joking around!" Yumiko was slightly annoyed that she couldn't get a straight answer out of Takeshi. 

"Okay, but…"

"What is it?"

"Um… I'm not really… that is, I don't know that much about you." said Takeshi sheepishly. 

"I'll tell you something about myself, then."

Takeshi took a deep breath. "Well, I was born in January 17 years ago, so that makes me about 3 weeks older than Kasumi. I finished elementary school here before my parents sent me off to study overseas."

"Why did they send you to Australia?" interrupted Yumiko. 

"My mother has this idea of creating the 'perfect' son, so she's been cramming stuff into my head since the day I was born. She wanted me to be bilingual, so she sent me off overseas to a boarding school. Weird, huh?"

"A bit," answered Yumiko. 

"Well after 6 years over there I'm back home."

"I see. What did you study over there, anyway?"

"Well, I did an IB course, so I had to do English, a science, math, a language and an art subject. I chose to do physics and visual communication for my art subject and since the Japanese part was so easy for me I did an extra subject and studied music. I wasn't terribly good at it, though."

"Oh. I see. What's an IB course."

"It's a course that's accepted worldwide as completion of secondary level education, which means I'm eligible for entry into any university. Your turn."

"Well my dad's in charge of this really big electronics company, and my mum's a corporate lawyer. They used to live here in Tokyo, and I was born here. About a year ago my dad's headquarters moved to Hiroshima, but they decided it was better for me to stay here We went looking around for a dorm for me to stay at, and we found Hinata Sou. Kasumi and I weren't really friends at that point, but she convinced me to stay with her and that's how I ended up there. Now it looks like I'll be staying a couple more years so I can go to Todai."

"Ah, so you're a Tokyo girl. That reminds me. I have to sign up for cram school."

"Which one? Kasumi and I are signing up for the one that's near the mall. Why don't come with us afterwards and we can sign up together?"

"Er… Sure."

Kasumi returned, giving her friends a playful smile as she said, "I'm back. Ara, have you two been making out?"

"WHAT!" yelled the other two in unison. 

"Well, I saw you two talking before, and I thought that you two must have been…"

"If I didn't know you so well, Ka-chan, I would be seriously worried about your mental health." Kasumi simply gave him a bemused smile. Takeshi checked his watch. "I think that my sister's event is about to start."

The PA system clicked on and made an announcement. "Could the competitors in the girls under-15's 100 metre sprint heat 6 please make their way to the judge's table? Repeating that: girls under-15's 100 metre sprint heat 6 to the judge's table."

They saw Hiroko make her way from the competitor's area to the table, then move out onto the track. They stood up to wave to her and Hiroko waved back. 

"I hope she does well," said Takeshi. 

"Don't worry about her Ta-kun. I'm sure she'll do fine."

The girls got into their starting positions before the starting pistol went off. Hiroko got off to a good start and was quite close to the leaders, but they were slowly pulling away. They finished their race, with Hiroko coming a respectable fourth. The runners made their way back to the judge's table to get their times, and the Takeshi made his way down to the gate to meet his sister. She made her way over to him. 

"Well done, sis," said Takeshi, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as Hiroko recovered her breath. 

"I did okay, I guess," She puffed a bit. "But I really didn't have a chance against them."

"Come on, let's go get you a drink."

Masaru came running up to them. "Hey Hiroko, you look beat. Want a massage?"

"Pervert!" Hiroko, being her mother's daughter, let her fist reply for her. Masaru was knocked back down the stairs. His sister applauded quietly in the background. "Couldn't have done it better myself."

"Why, thank you Iwako." Iwako gave Hiroko a small smile. 

The three of them made their way up to where Yumiko and Kasumi were seated. 

"Nice try, Hiroko-chan."

"Thanks, Yumiko-sempai."

"I'm sure you'll beat them next time."

"Haha, I don't think so, Kasumi."

Takeshi began digging through his bags and, after some searching, found a towel and a bottle of orange juice. 

"Here," said Takeshi, handing over the bottle to Hiroko, who drank it gratefully. After she finished drinking, Takeshi began to towel her dry, starting at her forehead and face, then her arms and then reaching behind her and under her shirt to dry her back. 

"Brother! Stop that!"

"Oh, stop squirming Hiroko. We need to get you cleaned up."

"I'm fine!"

"You're all sweaty. If I leave you like this you'll catch a cold. And who is mum going to tell off for your cold? Me. Well, she'll probably blame it on dad somehow…"

"…Okay. Just make it quick and don't touch anywhere you're not supposed to."

"Geez, sis! That's gross! What kind of guy touches his own sister?!"

"Well, do you remember that time mum told us about dad and Aunt Kanako?"

"I wouldn't put it past my brother, either," Iwako chimed in. 

Mizuki watched the scene from where she was sitting in the competitors' area. She saw how her friend Hiroko was being fussed over by Takeshi, and deep inside it made her feel strange. 'I wonder what that's like,' thought Mizuki. 'Mizuki never had a brother before.' She continued watching as the two siblings threw the now-sweaty towel at each other. 'It must be fun to have a big brother.'

The last time she was fussed over like that was when her parents were still in Tokyo. Because they had to work somewhere else they decided to leave her with Hiroko and her parents, who ran an all-girls dormitory. It was a lot of fun at Hinata Sou, but sometimes she was still sad. 'Mizuki misses mama and papa,' she thought.  She envied Hiroko, who had her parents all the time, and now she had a brother as well. Mizuki sighed and tried to clear her head of unhappy thoughts. 

***************************************

"The girls under-15's 100 metre sprint final will begin in 10 minutes. Girls under-15's 100 metre finals in 10 minutes."

This was Mizuki's final event, and she had done well in hurdles, the high jump and the long jump.  Her hurdles relay and 4 x 100 metre relay teams had won, but for some reason she still felt down. Try as she might, she couldn't get the thoughts of her parents out of her head. 'Mizuki wishes that mama and papa could be here.' The parents of the other girls had come down to the competitors' area to give their child a final pep talk and to wish them luck. One father was giving his daughter a hug. Mizuki couldn't take it any more. She burst into tears. 

"Ara, what's wrong with Mizuki-chan?" asked a concerned Kasumi. 

"I don't know," answered Takeshi. "I'm going down there."

"Wait up, brother. I'm coming too," said Hiroko as she chased after Takeshi. 

The two made it down to the competitors' area, where they found Mizuki bawling. 

"What's wrong?" asked a concerned Hiroko. 

"Every…everyone has their mama and papa…but Mizuki… Mizuki is all alone. Hiroko has her brother…but Mizuki…has no-one," managed Mizuki between sobs. 

Takeshi pulled the crying girl into a gentle embrace, allowing her to weep onto his chest. "Shhh, it's all right Mizuki-chan," comforted Takeshi. "You have all of us here for you, and we're all very, very proud of you." Mizuki's crying slowed as she looked up at Takeshi. "I'm sure your parents are very proud of you as well. See the video camera up there?" Takeshi pointed towards the camera and Mizuki nodded. "We'll make sure your parents get a copy of the tape. And if it's a brother you want, well… I'm sure Hiroko won't mind sharing me a bit."

"Really?" asked Mizuki tentatively. 

"I'm positive." Takeshi gave her a reassuring smile. 

"Competitors in the girls under-15's 100 metre sprint final please make their way to the judge's table Repeating that message: competitors in the girls under-15's 100 metre sprint final please make their way to the judge's table," announced the PA system. 

"That's your cue to go," said Takeshi, wiping away Mizuki's tears with a tissue. Mizuki's smile reappeared on her face. "Go for it." Mizuki let go of Takeshi. 

"Try your best, Mizuki."

"Don't you worry! Mizuki's going to win!" said Mizuki enthusiastically. 

**************************************

Takeshi and Hiroko made their way back to the grandstand, where a concerned group was waiting for them. 

"What was wrong with Mizuki?" asked Masaru. 

"She missed her parents," answered Takeshi. "Poor girl…"

"Is everything all right now?" asked Kasumi. 

"Yeah, I think shes' all right now," answered Hiroko. 

"I think he just wanted to feel her. Look, his jumper's all wet from drool," stated Yumiko. 

"I don't believe you," replied Takeshi. Turning to Kasumi, he continued, "I think your leaps in logic have just been beaten."

"I was joking, Takeshi. Joking," said Yumiko. 

"The race is about to start," said Iwako. 

The girls were already in position when the others started watching. The pistol went off, and the girls were away. Mizuki, out of nerves, faltered a bit but regained momentum. She began catch up to the others, passing them slowly until she was on par with the frontrunner. The finish line was five metres ahead, and Mizuki dug deep to find an extra surge of energy. They crossed the finish line. Mizuki won be a few centimetres. 

"She won! She won!" shouted Kasumi, jumping up and down enthusiastically. 

Masaru had pulled Iwako and Hiroko into a hug before the two girls hit him across the head. "Just got… carried away," he said as he crumpled to the ground.

"She won! That's great!" said Yumiko. 

"I'm so glad," said Takeshi. The two of them turned towards each other and were about to hug when they stopped and realised what they were doing. Both blushed. Kasumi, however, bumped into Takeshi in her excitement. He fell on top of Yumiko and the two blushed further. 

"Get…get off me," said Yumiko, trying to suppress her embarrassment. 

"S-sorry," replied Takeshi, climbing off her. Luckily, none of the others had noticed this little mishap. He helped Yumiko back to her feet. All of them watched as a gold medal was presented to a beaming Mizuki. 

***************************************

Everyone was now busy enjoying the lunch that Takeshi had prepared. There were different kinds of sandwiches and rice balls, as well as drinks and snacks. They all appeared to be having a good time. 

"Excuse me, who made these?" she asked, pointing to the rice balls.

"I did," Kasumi answered.

Iwako's lips curved into a contented smile.  "They are exquisite. The rice is neither too hard nor too gummy and the consistency of the ball itself is excellent. You must put a lot of effort into your cooking."  She sighed dreamily as she took another bite.

"Who turned her into a food critic?" Takeshi quietly asked Masaru. 

"She likes to eat," explained Masaru. "It's her hobby. With the amount she eats, I'm surprised that she hasn't become wider than she is tall." Masaru looked at his sister, who was still enjoying the rice balls. "Then again, if she was fat on top of being unfriendly, cold hearted, and having a stick up her –!" He was interrupted as a can of soda hit him in the back of the head.

"I HEARD THAT!" yelled Iwako, threatening Masaru with another can in her hand.

"As I was saying before, if she was like that, then no guy would want her, which means I'd have to look after her. That would seriously kill my social life, so I guess I should count my lucky stars."

Another can came flying over, knocking Masaru out cold

Mizuki poked Takeshi's side. 

"Hmm?"

"Mizuki saw it," she giggled. 

"Saw what?" asked Takeshi. 

"You and Yumiko-sempai making kissy faces." There was an explosion of snorts as the others tried to stop food spraying out of their mouths. 

"What are you talking about, Mizuki-chan?" asked Yumiko after recovering from choking. 

"When Mizuki won the race, and everybody was celebrating. Takeshi and Yumiko-sempai were lying down making kissy faces."

"WE WERE NOT! WE WEREN'T!" yelled the two in question, looking around to assure everyone. 

"Now I told you two this before. You're not allowed to make out in public," said Kasumi playfully. 

Masaru nudged Takeshi in the ribs. "Way to go, man!"

Takeshi looked at Kasumi and then turned towards Yumiko, who still had some traces of red on her face. "I'll hold her down. You strangle her."

Laughter filled the air as Takeshi and Yumiko chased Kasumi around, threatening to get revenge. 


	5. Yumiko's Date ANGER!

Disclaimer: Love Hina is the property of the guys and girls of TV Tokyo, and the creation of Ken Akamatsu. This includes all characters that appear in Love Hina. 

Cherish Hina is MY property. Takeshi Urashima, Hiroko Urashima, Yumiko Nakamura, Kasumi Mitsumaru and Mizuki Kanashiro are MY characters. Please e-mail me at one_man_cult@hotmail.com if you want to use them, or if you want to post this story on your site. 

This is episode 5 of a 13 part series. Reviews and constructive feedback are welcome. The more help and reviews I get, the faster I can finish an episode. No flames accepted. I mean, no-one's FORCING you to read this. 

Warning: This piece of fanfiction contains heaps and heaps of original characters. To all those who hate original characters (I really hate self-inserts), go break your butt on my foot. This also contains quite a few indirect spoilers for the manga series. 

Extra, EXTRA special thanks to:

-e2

-beege

My editors. For actually taking the time to read this thing, thank you. God knows I don't. 

_Journal entry: Wednesday, January 15th_

_Life is starting to get hectic again. The tutorial classes Yumiko, Kasumi and I have been taking are now in full swing, since their final exams are not too far away. The work isn't particularly hard, but there's a lot of it, so it takes up quite a bit of time. Mum's making me do it all, of course. You know how she is with stuff like this. Apart from that I've also been fixing up the inn. Mizuki's recently found a new hobby and is using the hallway as a bowling alley. I've been trying to patch up all the holes ever since. It hasn't helped that little sister has decided to play as well. Iwako joins in sometimes, too. Speaking of Iwako, here are the current scores: Iwako 26 – Masaru 23, Iwako 17 – Me 0, Masaru 2 – Me 13. _

_I've also gotten a job working for Aunt Shinobu, running errands and transporting supplies for her restaurants. Sometimes I fill in as a waiter as well, and the chefs give me cooking lessons in their spare time. The hours aren't that good, and the pay is modest, but on the upside I've met many well-placed friends. Aunt Shinobu also takes care of all my fuel costs as well, which saves me quite a bit. That reminds me.  I'm due for work in about an hour. _

_Now the important bit. I've set up nearly everything I need for Kasumi's birthday present. All I need now is a bit of co-operation from the girls. Everything's already planned out and ready to go. It's going to be BIG. _

_And here's something just for a bit of fun. I hope Yumiko never, ever sees this. If you're Yumiko, and you're reading my journal (which you shouldn't be doing, I might add), stop reading NOW. _

_DATA ANALYSIS: ENEMY UNITS_

_Nakamura Industries unit 'Yumiko'_

_One of the more modern designs, the Nakamura Industries unit 'Yumiko' appears to have a similar purpose to the Narusegawa Corporation unit 'Naru', and to a lesser extent, the Urashima/Narusegawa built 'Hiroko'. It appears to be a multi purpose battle unit, lacking the higher offensive power of the Aoyama/Kiriten designs but making up for this by having greater adaptability and having similar stealth abilities to the Otohime/Misumaru creations. Whereas the 'Naru' excels at close quarters combat, the 'Yumiko' specialises in ranged attacks, using its long-range weapons to prevent direct confrontation with our Urashima/Narusegawa Corporations 'Takeshi' unit and the Aoyama/Kiriten built 'Masaru' heavy assault unit. _

_Although such attacks do not seriously damage the older Urashima Corporations unit 'Keitaro', it seems to be reasonably effective against the weaker armoured 'Takeshi'. Confrontation using the 'Masaru' unit should be avoided at all costs; since the 'Yumiko' unit can easily penetrate its weak armour and take advantage of its slow recovery time. _

_Known armament is listed below:_

_Glare (long range)_

_Lecture (medium range)_

_Pout (long range)_

_Mean Comment (medium range)_

_Punch (short range)_

_Special weapon: Eye Beam. The 'Yumiko' unit gathers a large amount of ki and fires it through its eyes, hitting a target at long range for high damage. The internal workings of this weapon are unknown; however a substantial amount of anger is needed before it operates. The unit's eyes temporary glow red before this weapon is fired. _

CHERISH HINA

Episode 5: Yumiko's date. ANGER!

Takeshi closed his journal and put it back on the shelf. It was time for him to get to work. There were lots of stops tonight, and it was important that he made each of them on time. 

For Takeshi, work usually started at 8:00am. On market days like today however, he had to leave the house at an ungodly 6:00am. He would work picking up and delivering supplies until lunchtime. Sometimes he didn't work afternoons when he had tutorial classes, but he made up for that by working until about 10:00pm, helping out as a waiter and also in the kitchens. He did this four days a week leaving Monday and the weekend free for other pursuits. 

"You drive too fast, Takeshi-kun." Shinobu Maehara, his boss and a valued family friend was accompanying him on his errands today. 

"Oh, do I?"

"Yes you do, but at least you don't randomly crash into large objects. Who taught you to drive, anyway? Did Keitaro-san teach you?" Takeshi noticed that his passenger was holding onto the armrest rather tightly. 

"No. Some of his old students from the hills taught me." 

Shinobu shrieked as Takeshi threw the car around a sharp corner, leaving a cloud of sooty smoke in their wake. 

"The hills? As in up in the mountains? I think I've met them before. You really shouldn't learn from road racers, Takeshi-kun."

"Oh."

Takeshi stopped his car in front of the central Tokyo restaurant. Being the first of Aunt Shinobu's restaurants, this was by far the largest one. The top floor of the restaurant was set up with soft lighting and small tables for more romantic meals. 'Aunt Shinobu was always a diehard romantic,' thought Takeshi. Personally, he liked that floor because all the couples that ate up there were generous tippers. Takeshi tied his bandana on to keep the hair out of his face, opened the boot, and lifted out the large box containing bread he had picked up earlier at the bakery. 

"By the way, Takeshi–kun, would you mind working a bit late on Friday? My husband and I have our anniversary on Friday and…well I'm sure he has something planned. If he forgets…" Shinobu greeted her various employees along the way to the kitchen. 

"Friday night? I can do that. I guess I'll just sleep in a bit on Saturday."

"Thanks. If there's one thing I've learned after all these years, it's to never be understaffed on a Friday night. I'll be sure to pay you overtime."

"That's fair. I'll take care of everything."

***************************************

"I'm home." Takeshi looked around and found everyone hiding behind various pieces of furniture or behind walls. He quietly approached the nearest person and crouched down beside them. "What are we doing?" he whispered. 

"Shhh. There's some juicy stuff going on between Yumiko-chan and some guy on the phone," answered Kitsune in a harsh whisper. 

"So are we spying?"

"Of course not, of course not! We were just passing by and happened to 'accidentally' overhear some of the conversation, that's all."

"All of us?" asked Takeshi. He looked around the room. Kasumi crouched behind the counter. Hiroko and Mizuki hid behind a sofa with a disinterested Iwako beside them. His parents stood in the hallway, backs towards the wall. "Just because you don't have a man, Aunt Kitsune, doesn't mean that you should live your life through someone else." Takeshi felt a pair of hands around his throat. 

"That's none of your business," replied Kitsune with a vein popping up on her forehead. 

"Need…air!"

"Okay then. I'll see you on Friday night. Uh-huh. Bye!" said Yumiko, hanging up the phone. "You can come out now."

Kasumi slowly emerged from behind the counter. "Who was that?"

"I'm not going to tell you."

"Ara, aren't you?"

"No."

Sensing that they weren't going to get any more information, the others decided that it was time to leave. 

"Hiroko-chan, Mizuki-chan, Iwako-chan? You girls are spying on me too?" 

"We weren't spying! It was… um… research. Yeah, that's it. Research. Because… because you're a role model to us. That's sounds right. Bye!" The three girls beat a hasty retreat out of the room. 

"Keitaro-san, Naru-san. You too?" Keitaro and Naru stopped mid-step being caught trying to sneak away. 

"Um… haha. Don't mind us, we're just passing through." answered Naru as she and her husband continued tiptoeing away. 

"Ooooh, someone's got a new boy~friend," stated Kitsune in a singsong voice. 

"It's not like that! He's just the son of my parents' friends! You were spying on me as well, weren't you?!" shouted Yumiko, now very agitated. Kitsune with her years of experience in such matters realized what was about to happen. Grabbing Takeshi by the collar, she pulled him to his feet. 

"Hehe, human shield!" said Kitsune. 

"Wha…" started Takeshi before two red beams arched from Yumiko's eyes directly at him. "Wah!!"

"Hahaha! Quick, drop and roll!" Kitsune let go of the flaming Takeshi and watched him squirming on the floor. 

"Hmph!" Yumiko turned around and stormed out. 

Takeshi still lay on the floor with his clothes still smoldering slightly. Kitsune knelt beside him, still laughing a bit. 

"Sorry about that, kid, but I gotta think of myself first."

"Fire, hot." Takeshi tried to push himself upright before collapsing back down. 

**************************************

The three older students sat around a large table in Takeshi's room, studying for a minor test they had on Thursday. They worked diligently at their revision, with various notes and books scattered on the table and surrounding area. After all, today was already Wednesday. 

"I feel like some tea." Takeshi slowly rose up to his feet. "Does anybody else want some?"

"I'll have some please," answered Kasumi, her nose still in a book. 

"I wouldn't mind some," said Yumiko. 

"Okay." Takeshi walked over to his water boiler and opened up a cupboard beside it. "I've got shou mei, oolong, pu li, tikuanyin, jasmine, luk on, traditional green, chrysanthemum…"

"You've got a serious obsession with tea. Are you an old lady or something?" asked Yumiko. 

"No! I like tea. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Of course not, Ta-kun," said Kasumi, supporting her friend and giving Yumiko a firm look. "Just choose one."

Takeshi picked up a canister, before changing his mind and choosing another one. Taking out an earthenware tea set, he put some of the tea leaves into the teapot and filled it with hot water before putting it along with some cups and saucers on a tray. He had splurged out about 7000 yen of his salary for this tea set, but it was worth it. The set was hand crafted and came with a matching tray. It seemed almost a waste to use it. He placed the tray on the table. 

"Are we supposed to help ourselves?" asked Yumiko.

"Of- of course not, but the tea's not quite done yet." Takeshi chuckled quietly at himself. "To tell the truth, I really should be using a separate teapot with each tea, but I couldn't afford it," he admitted sheepishly. 

"If that's not an obsession, I don't know what is."

"I guess you were right." 

Yumiko gave Takeshi a look that said 'Well, of course I was right'. 

"Ara, I think I'm done for today. I'm going to go to sleep."

"I'm just going to finish off this chapter, and then I'm stopping. Cramming doesn't help me a single bit." Takeshi yawned a little before turning the next page. 

"I've only got a bit to go too, so I'm staying," said Yumiko. 

"Okie-dokie." Kasumi yawned and headed towards Takeshi's bed. 

"Hey, where are you going?" asked Takeshi. 

"To bed," answered Kasumi, stifling another yawn. 

"That's MY bed."

"I know," answered Kasumi, climbing in. "But it's softer and warmer and it's closer than mine."

Takeshi slapped his forehead with his hand, causing an echo through his room.  

Yumiko was a bit surprised that Kasumi had the audacity to go and sleep in Takeshi's bed. Kasumi was always like this and she guessed Takeshi was used to her behavior after all the time they've known each other. Yumiko looked across at her studying partner. After two months living with him, she had learned a lot about him. At first, she had found him annoying and dull.  After a while however, she had found him easy to get along with. He simply went along with whatever situation came across him. This was great for someone like her who tended to be a bit… bossy- not that Takeshi was a pushover. He just had a near infinite patience. Thinking back over the last several months, she had noticed him get annoyed at things, but she had never seen him get angry. 

Yumiko glanced again at Takeshi. 'He's spacing out again.' Takeshi would get this look whenever he was doing something tedious like studying for long hours. Yumiko knew that he was still paying attention to what was going on around him. Takeshi could study for hours while spacing out, but he still got high marks and could even recall the conversations during those times. 'I wish I could space out like that. It seems like it save a lot of energy. Maybe I should follow Kasumi's example and go to bed.' Yumiko looked up again only to find herself looking straight into Takeshi's eyes. She found herself blushing slightly at being caught sneaking a peek. 

"You look tired," said Takeshi. "You should go to bed. You've got school tomorrow."

Yumiko nodded in agreement. She placed the stepladder under the trapdoor and climbed up. 

"Well, good night. I've got to go and kick Goldilocks out of my bed."

"Good night."

**************************************

Takeshi was outside on the driveway, with his pants legs rolled up and sandals on his feet. In his hands were a bucket of soapy water and a sponge. Before him stood his eighteenth birthday present, which was currently covered with inner-city grime. 

"Let's get to work," he said to himself. 

This was one of Takeshi's free afternoons; he had just returned from his tutorial class. The test hadn't fazed him too much. 'Except question six. That one was really dodgy.' Takeshi preferred to do some manual labor to keep his mind off things. He started washing the fender of his car. His parents had given it to him this car for his birthday about a week ago. A Toyota Trueno AE86 built during the mid 1980's. It had been made popular by a manga and an anime series called 'Initial D' before the turn of the century, which was probably the reason why his Aunt Kaolla got one. 'That must have been the reason,' thought Takeshi. It had been painted with the same black and white panda colour scheme, and on the driver's side door there was a large label that read 'Hinata Sou - Self Use'. Not many people remembered Initial D any more, with the exception of anime aficionados. The Eight-six (as it was affectionately known as) still turned heads on the streets as a forty year old classic car, though, because it didn't have all those driver assisting whiz-bang gizmos that were standard equipment of today's cars. 'All those gadgets even make my parents safe drivers,' thought Takeshi with a smirk. But driving such an old car had it's own problems. It hadn't been used for ages, and the body was showing signs of rust, which he had fixed himself. It tended to be a bit temperamental when he tried to start the engine, especially on cold mornings. On top of that there were buttons in the car labelled with things such as 'rocket boost', 'missile launcher' and 'self destruct'. Takeshi didn't dare touch those. 

Takeshi finished scrubbing the wheels and got into the car to drive it into the garage. It was actually more like a hangar, located underneath the inn itself. Inside were lots of various bits and pieces, and weird turtle robots with Mecha-Tamago written on the side of them. He reversed the car back to the spot it had been sitting for fifteen odd years, switched off the engine and shut the door, giving the windscreen a final wipe before leaving. 

***************************************

"Are you ready to order, Yumiko-chan?"

Yumiko really didn't appreciate her date for the evening, Hyousuke, calling her that. They weren't really that close. In fact, she didn't consider them any more than acquaintances. They had first met when their fathers had played golf together for a business meeting a few years back, and they occasionally bumped into each other at school. Their parents thought that the two of them could spend some time together since they attend the same school, probably with some corporate takeover scheme in their minds. 

"Yumiko-chan?"

Yumiko's eyebrows knitted slightly. "Sure."

"Hey, waiter!" Hyousuke shouted. "We'd like to order now!"

The waiter walked over to their table. "Of course sir. What will you be having tonight?"

Yumiko looked up from her menu at the waiter. 'Takeshi?! What was he doing here? I didn't know he worked here!' In her surprise, she accidentally bumped her glass sending water spilling all over his apron. 

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"That's alright, miss. I'm quite used to it by now," replied Takeshi. Yumiko could've sworn that he had given her a wink. He wiped the water off with a tea towel. 

"I'm sorry," repeated Yumiko. 

"We'll both be having the lamb roast," said Hyousuke. 

"Was that the lamb roast?" Takeshi put the towel away and wrote the order on his pad. "Is there anything else?"

"I would've told you if there was."

"Of course."

Yumiko shot her date a sullen look. He seemed to notice it, but she couldn't tell what he was thinking. After a minute, he finally spoke up.  "Hey, don't worry your pretty little head. It's not your fault you spilt the water on that guy. That poor guy working the night shift like this - this is probably the best he can do.  After a minute, he finally spoke up.  "Hey, don't worry your pretty little head. It's not your fault you spilt the water on that guy. That poor guy working the night shift like this - this is probably the best he can do. "

Yumiko didn't particularly appreciate Hyousuke's attitude. 

The date continued without further incident, with Hyousuke talking continuously about himself. Yumiko played around with her dinner.  She would have liked to say something, but her parents had taught her that it was rude to interrupt. Yumiko grimaced and cleared her throat, hoping her dinner companion would take notice. Hyousuke continued to gab on about some practical joke he pulled when he was younger. 

"… So I rang her up and told her she won the lottery," he continued," and she came running out the door, straight into the flypaper. It was hilarious!"

"I'm sure it was," Yumiko simply rolled her eyes. 'This is a new technique,' she thought. 'Trying to get into a girls pants by boring them off her. I don't really see why all those other girls flock around him, though. Probably for the money.' Her stomach rumbled slightly. She had barely touched her dinner. It wasn't turning out to be a good night. 

"I don't feel like dessert, so let leave now," suggested Hyousuke. 

Torn between being stuck with Hyousuke for another hour or leaving early, she decided that leaving was indeed a good idea. 

"Okay, lets go," she replied. 

***************************************

Yumiko and Hyousuke were riding inside his limousine, heading back towards Hinata Sou. It hadn't been much fun at all for Yumiko, who was still hungry from her lack of any real dinner. Her date for the evening didn't seem to notice that she didn't eat much that evening. He was much too busy talking about himself. 'I can't believe my parents told me to go out with this guy,' thought Yumiko. 'He's so annoying, and on top of that, he's such a stereotypical bad date. How boring.'

"This is it, isn't it Yumiko-chan? Your home?"

"Yes, this is it. Just stop in front of the stairs," she replied, indicating to the driver where they should park. The limousine rolled to a stop. 

"Well, bye," said Yumiko, opening the door. 

"Wait, aren't you going to kiss me goodnight?"

"WHAT?! After all you did tonight, you think you deserve a kiss?! GET REAL!" she yelled, slamming the door and storming up the stairs. 

"I thought I deserved one," Hyousuke said to himself. "Ah, well." 

Yumiko stepped into the inn and took her shoes off. Too hungry for bed, but too tired to cook, she curled up on the couch and drifted off to sleep. 

***************************************

Takeshi tiptoed through the foyer, stepping over the turtle that was resting on the floor. He suspected that everybody else would be asleep as well, since it was fairly late at night. Takeshi had lost track of time, and he was too tired from the day's work to bother about finding out. He continued into the kitchen holding a shopping bag, which held some leftover food from the restaurant. It seemed a waste to Takeshi to let such good food go to waste.  If he hadn't taken the food from the fridge it would've been thrown out. Walking over to the microwave oven, he placed the fried noodles in and set the timer, walking back to the lounge room when the familiar hum of the device started. Takeshi stiffed a yawn and sat down on the couch. 

"Eeeek!"

"Eh?" Takeshi looked down at where he was sitting. On the right hand side of the couch laid a rather shapely pair of legs, and on the left was a torso and a head, with two angry eyes staring back at him. "Sorry!"

"Get off me, idiot," said Yumiko while pushing Takeshi off her lap. She stood up and glared at him while he climbed back on the couch, rubbing where his backside had impacted with the floor. 

"Ouch," he said before turning to Yumiko. "Don't yell. You'll wake the others."

Yumiko sat beside him on the couch. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress before starting. "Look, I'm sorry about spilling water on you from before, but I'm not apologising for pushing you off me."

"Don't worry about the water thing. It's part of the job."

A moment of silence passed by before either of them started talking. "I didn't know you worked there."

"I just started last week. I thought I already told everyone."

"I mustn't have been paying attention."

The beeping of the microwave interrupted the conversation.

"Oh, supper's ready," declared Takeshi. "Excuse me for a moment." He hurried off to the kitchen to fetch his meal. He came back a moment later with a steaming box full of yakisoba. "Mmm, smells nice."

Yumiko's stomach rumbled as her nostrils filled with the scent of stir-fried noodles. "That looks nice," she said.

"It is," replied Takeshi. "Have some. I know you're hungry."

"You must be psychic."

"Huh? Why do you say that?"

"You always seem to know stuff like that."

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out that when someone's drooling at the mouth and a has growling stomach that they're hungry."

"Mmmph," was all Yumiko could get out with a full mouth.

Takeshi watched on as Yumiko scoffed down the noodles in a most unladylike way. "If you're really that hungry you can have the rest."

"Thanks," Yumiko attempted to say, but it came out all muffled. She gave him an appreciative look instead.

"Uh, you're welcome." His reply sounded more like a question than an acknowledgement. Takeshi hoped that he didn't misinterpret the look she gave him.

"It was a pretty bad date," said Yumiko after she had finished her meal.

"Was it?"

"Well, it went as well as most first dates go."

"Oh." 

"What do you mean, 'oh'?"

"Well, I don't exactly know how first dates go because I... umm... I haven't been on a date before," answered Takeshi sheepishly.

"Oh, I didn't know."

"That's alright," said Takeshi, shrugging.

"So, you want to hear about how it went?"

"Umm..."

"I'm going to tell you anyway, so I won't have anybody asking me how it went tomorrow."

"Do I look like a gossip to you?"

"Guess you don't, but I'll tell you anyway. Think of it as repayment for supper."

Takeshi sighed. "It doesn't sound like I have a choice."

"You already know where we went..." said Yumiko, thinking. "His name is Hyousuke and my parents suggested that I go out with him because they're business associates with his parents. Or something like that. I don't pay much attention to my parents' business. It's not like I like him," explained Yumiko. "The guy's a bit of an ass. It's strictly social." For some reason Yumiko felt the need to explain to Takeshi that she wasn't really going out with Hyousuke. 

"That's a bit harsh isn't it? He didn't seem that bad a guy," Takeshi said quietly. 

"Oh, you have no idea how bad it was. First of all…" Yumiko's mobile phone started buzzing from the vibrate alert. "Excuse me for a second." Flipping it open, she answered her phone. "Hello?"

Takeshi couldn't hear what was being said, but he was pretty sure the person on the other line was a woman. 

"Oh mother, it's you." Yumiko relaxed back onto the sofa, and rolled her eyes. Takeshi attempted to stifle a chuckle. More talking was heard. 

"It wasn't that good to be honest."

Yumiko's mother said something else that Takeshi couldn't quite hear. 

"You did what?! Mother, how could you?!" Yumiko hissed. Takeshi could hear Yumiko's mother trying to make a rather hasty explanation. 

"Fine, but this wasn't by choice, okay. Bye mother." Yumiko turned off her phone rather violently. She turned to Takeshi to explain what had just happened. "My mother," she fumed, "just promised to Hyousuke's parents that I would go to the school formal with him."

"That's bad… right?"

"Yes, it's bad! I have to put up with him for another night! And I don't get to choose my own date!"

"Did you already have someone in mind to go with?" asked Takeshi. 

"Well, no, but that's not the point!"

Takeshi checked the time on the wall clock. "Umm, we have tutorial school tomorrow, so why don't you go take a bath and relax a bit. It won't do you any good fuming about it all night." Takeshi stood up and headed off to his room. 

"Takeshi?"

Takeshi turned around to reply. "Hmm?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Just… thanks." Yumiko gave him a shy smile, which Takeshi returned. 

"Well… goodnight, then."


End file.
